Are you a VAT expert?

Is there a ‘national shortage’ of VAT specialists? According to a conference speaker at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales, such a shortage of expertise is a problem particularly for smaller firms. In a feature  in Accountancy Age, one of the reasons is the fact that VAT experts usually qualify via the big 4 firms and rarely does the expertise ‘trickle down’.  A report form KPMG also backed up the need for companies to be more informed on this tax that is often under debate. As an accountant new to the profession what could this gap in knowledge mean for potential  career planning?  The article gives some good balanced advice. ‘So the advice to accountancy students is that VAT is an underserved area, and one that – given VAT's ubiquity – could hold a fruitful career if you can accept the narrow nature of the area.’ For more details read the full article at http://www.accountancyage.com/aa/analysis/2188146/vat-national-shortage-experts#ixzz1zV8j9N13