Tax lawyer

VAT Associate (Trainee Tax Lawyer)

London (Hybrid Working)

The Opportunity

This is a rare opportunity for a VAT specialist from a leading accountancy firm to transition into a top-tier legal environment and qualify as a tax lawyer, specialising in VAT.

You’ll join a highly regarded tax team within a leading law firm, working on pure advisory matters across a diverse and sophisticated client base. The firm will provide full support toward legal qualification, offering a clear pathway into a long-term legal career.

The Role

Working closely with partners and senior lawyers, you will:

• Advise on a broad range of UK and international VAT issues
• Support on complex advisory projects including:
• Structuring transactions
• Property VAT
• Financial services VAT
• Cross-border and supply chain planning
• Assist with technical research, drafting advice and client memos
• Work alongside corporate, real estate and finance lawyers on multi-disciplinary matters
• Develop exposure to contentious VAT work / disputes (where relevant)
• Begin the process of transitioning into a qualified tax lawyer

Training & Development

• Full support provided to qualify as a solicitor/tax lawyer (e.g. SQE or equivalent route)
• Structured training within a high-performing legal tax team
• Hands-on experience from day one on complex advisory work
• Mentorship from established VAT specialists in a legal setting

Candidate Profile

Essential

• Strong VAT technical experience gained in a large accountancy firm (Big 4 / Top 10 / mid-tier)
• Background in advisory-led VAT work (rather than purely compliance)
• ACA / CTA / ATT (or equivalent) – or working towards
• Clear motivation to move into a legal career

Desirable

• Exposure to transactional VAT or international VAT
• Experience working with law firms or on legal-led projects
• Strong academic background

Why make the move?

• Unique career transition: move from accounting into law with full support
• Pure advisory focus: no compliance-heavy workload
• High-quality work: complex, technical VAT at the intersection of law and tax
• Collaborative environment with leading tax lawyers and partners
• Clear long-term progression into a specialist VAT legal career

The Firm

A highly regarded law firm with a strong reputation across tax, corporate and real estate, known for:

• High-quality advisory work
• A collaborative and supportive culture
• Investing in specialist talent and long-term careers