Biography
One area I have felt passionately about over my career is that VAT should be “accessible” to businesses, and shouldn’t be “scary” (or a phone call you have to psyche yourself up for!). I see a key part of my role as an advisor as taking the complexities of VAT and TOMS, and translating them into “plain English” so that you can get on and run your business. It’s with this in mind that I set up VATNAV, and I hope that we can help you optimise your VAT position too!
VATNAV is headed up by Laura and Paul Chipp. Laura founded VATNAV in 2019 after 12 years of working in VAT practice, advising businesses across a broad spectrum of industries on VAT and TOMS matters. Read more about Laura and Paul (in their own words!) below...
LAURA CHIPP
After graduating from Manchester University, I started my VAT career at Deloitte LLP in 2007 and have since taken great pleasure in helping many businesses understand and improve their VAT position. Having originally started out advising on VAT in the financial services sector, I moved on to work in the property, retail and travel industry sectors at Saffery Champness and BDO LLP, and have worked with businesses ranging from start-ups to multi-nationals…and everything in between along the way.
Since 2010, I have specialised in VAT advice to the travel and events industries, which is great as it means most of my day is spent thinking about holidays and days out! Before starting VATNAV, I worked at Elman Wall Ltd, a specialist travel accountancy firm, and still have a close relationship with EW today. In my travel VAT roles, I have dealt with VAT issues facing a wide range of travel businesses – tour operators, travel agents, events management companies, DMCs, TMCs, and charities, to name a few. Although new issues crop up all the time, I am very familiar with many of the industry-specific challenges for VAT - the Tour Operators’ Margin Scheme (TOMS) rules, agent vs principal, VAT place of supply rules and international VAT, for example. I have also been lucky enough to be invited to present at industry-wide conferences, and contribute to travel trade magazines on VAT issues.
When I’m not advising on VAT, I am a keen runner having competed in five marathons and numerous other physical challenges. I also love to travel, and indulge in my love of sugar and shoes.
PAUL CHIPP
I realise as I write this that my bio is way less impressive that my beautiful wife’s! After many years of being self employed in several types of work including Fish and Chip shop proprietor, Personal Trainer, and most recently mortgage broker, I find myself working with my wife. The previous roles mentioned might all seem somewhat random, however they all have one thing in common - all were dealing directly with clients and customers which is something I love.
The decision to work together with Laura came as we settled into life with our baby daughter, and decided to focus on one great business alongside playdates and nursery rhymes. We realised that if I became Laura’s “general dogsbody” (I mean office manager and administrator), it would mean Laura can give much more time to client projects whilst I dealt with the day-to-day tasks, and we can both watch our little girl grow up. This has worked extremely well as I am always able to answer the phone for a friendly chat if Laura is working on a project, and that VATNAV has been able to help more clients altogether.
It is definitely interesting having a “boss” as that is new in itself, however having my wife as my boss is no different to the rest of my day really…I find if I do what I am told, life is good 😉
I think the best part of my new role is exactly the same as all of my previous roles, speaking with clients. It just so happens I also get to spend more time with my wife and daughter.
Some of our proudest career moments
Being a key part of securing a change in the UK-wide VAT treatment for wholesale travel packages which has saved travel businesses £millions in VAT over the past 8 years; settling a dispute with HMRC on principal vs agency for an events business which had been ongoing for two years before we were introduced; and my favourite – obtaining a large VAT refund for one of my first clients which enabled him to pay off his mortgage.