VAT is a tax where it is all too easy to get things wrong. Working as it does according to its own rules – quite different to those applying to other taxes – it is an area where an experienced navigator can be especially helpful in demonstrating how to negotiate the minefield. With this in mind, Neil’s aim in this session is to guide delegates through a series of topics of current interest where a correct understanding of the position can make the difference between avoiding the pitfalls and falling into them, or where opportunities exist for the well-informed. The course will cover:

• Any significant legal developments
• Changes in HMRC practice
• News on Brexit VAT issues
• The latest on MTD for VAT
• Selected land and property issues
• A variety of topical areas of interest

Neil Owen is an independent consultant, speaker and occasional writer. He has specialised exclusively in VAT since 1984, when he joined HM Customs & Excise as a VAT officer. He entered professional practice in 1990, working for regional accountancy firms in the Thames Valley and Solent areas, before establishing his own VAT consultancy practice in 2007. Neil is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, an Associate of the Institute of Indirect Tax, and a Fellow of the British Institute of Agricultural Consultants. He was previously National Secretary of the VAT Practitioners Group and general editor of the annual book, CCH VAT Planning. He is also a former editor of the CIOT journal, Tax Advisor.