I first ventured into all things VAT back in 1991 as a VAT Inspector in HM Customs and Excise and one of the youngest ever direct entrant Officers in the UK. At the time, the interviewing board said I was ‘flip-pant,’ probably because in my young ignorant years I had not realised that HM Customs and Excise administered VAT! There was I expecting to be working with dogs, (one of my passions in life apart from VAT) at an airport, sniffing out various contraband items, only to be up to my eyes in all manner of VAT problems but from the gamekeeper’s side of the fence. However, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. After all, in what other job do you consider whether something is a cake or a biscuit? (Just call me the JAFFA lady! Is it a biscuit or a cake though…?) Or, whether palmistry can actually be classed as consultancy?
I thrive on the intricacies of VAT and its surrealness at times, and I strive to put this fiscal theme park and complex parallel universe of VAT (a VAT Tribunal Chairman’s words not mine) into Plain English, practical advice.
It is through the wonders of Facebook I am here at VATease. Back in 1993 I was at university and working at a pub to make ends meet; the same pub Simone later worked at. Even then, she was married to VAT , as her day job was a VAT Inspector. 20 years later we reconnected through Facebook and Simone asked me to become her PA and Office Manager. My working life before VATease involved a number of roles, including the management of pubs, cabin crew and teaching 11 – 18 year olds music. It seemed a natural progression to move into a PA role with the variety of skills I have amalgamated during this time; so challenge accepted.
I now run the day to day office operations and organise and assist Simone with a number of things. I find the role rewarding and believe it or not, exciting too! As a little aside, if you ever speak to or meet Simone and would like a giggle, ask her about the Samsonite briefcase story; one of many she has about her time as a VAT Inspector.
For those of you who have not already noticed the similarity in the name, Simone is also my Mum, which can make for an interesting life! You could say I have been involved with VAT at an embryonic stage! After nearly 10 years of working at VATease its’s fair to say I’ve caught the VAT bug… it must be in the genes.
You will normally find me dealing with all manner of VAT queries however when I’m not busy dealing with VAT; I am responsible for keeping VATease in the 21st century and ensuring we remain streamlined and efficient as a team. This means implementing new pieces of software, managing training for all our technical needs, and keeping on top of all policies and procedures (I’m all for the work smarter not harder philosophy!).
I will be spear heading the future of VATease over the next 30 plus years (no pressure!) and I’m looking forward to watching the business grow and thrive.
Strange as it may sound to some, one of my loves in life is VAT. After training as an accountant and coming across this tax that has been called a ‘fiscal theme park’, I knew I wanted to ride that roller coaster in my professional life. I contacted Simone directly to see if I could assist for free in building up my knowledge and get some on the job experience (yes that’s how much I love VAT). That’s approximately 5 years ago now and I have found my place in the nitty gritty of VAT engrossed in the figures, pouring over spreadsheets. I love a good number crunch….apportionment methods, partial exemption, capital goods scheme and forensics are where I’m at but I also enjoy the finer intricacies of VAT. It never ceases to amaze me how every day is different; no two queries are the same.
I am the Business Development Manager for VATease, my insatiable appetite for the finer details helps me to identify the gaps and opportunities for growth for us as a business, and individually. I have over 20 years’ experience in business development, including companies such as Molton Brown and Dermalogica. I specialise in communications and networking…yes, that does mean I love meeting people for coffee and a good natter, it also means I get a thorough understanding of our clien’s needs (everyone’s a winner, we just had fun whilst doing it!)
I consider myself a ‘forever student’, passionate about learning everything and anything, from nutrition to brand marketing, to Net Zero initiatives. I guess that is how I find myself as an ATT student studying for my Foundation in VAT. My hunger for knowledge and my determination to turn information, ideas, and contacts into explosive opportunities for all, inspire me each and every morning. That, and a good pub crawl ending in Karaoke (Yes, Simone…that’s you too!)
Even at VATease we sometimes get a little stressed with taxing VAT conundrums. So, we have our lovely little office dog called Saba. Saba is a rescue dog who was rescued from a horrible life with a hunter in Spain. It’s a well-known fact that having pets and stroking animals is very therapeutic and calming and we certainly think so here at VATease. It also comes in handy that at the back of our office is a beautiful park where we walk Saba when wishing to mull over a particularly perplexing VAT problem.
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