The work it does
VAT preparation and working papers
Prepares VAT workings, reconciles control accounts and surfaces only the items that need professional judgement.
What it receives, what it does, what it completes.
What the colleague receives
- The period's ledger data from Xero or Sage
- Supporting invoices and credit notes from the document store
- Last period's return and its treatment decisions
What it does
- Recomputes input and output tax from the ledger rather than trusting the prior figure
- Reconciles the VAT control account and explains the movement
- Compares treatment against the previous return and flags drift
- Assembles the workings pack with every figure tied back to its source
What it completes
- The recomputed return figures with the ledger trail behind each one
- The control-account reconciliation
- A workings pack a reviewer can follow line by line
What it escalates
- Zero-rated or exempt items whose treatment is not clear from the evidence
- Invoices missing a VAT number or a readable total
- Any reconciliation that does not close, with the exact gap named
What the accountant reviews
The completed return, its workings and the short list of treatment decisions. Submission always requires approval.
Other work it takes on
Bank transaction matching and reconciliations
Reads the statement, matches receipts and payments to the ledger, and allocates against open invoices.
Client document requests and follow-up
Notices what is missing, asks the client for it, watches for the reply and files what arrives.
GL mapping and allocation verification
Maps transactions to the right general ledger accounts using your firm's own conventions, then posts on approval.