VAT recovery and Financial Roles Outsourcing: case study in efficiency

What challenges signaled the need for VAT recovery and process support?

Even with established teams for VAT compliance, AP processing and technical operations, organizations can reach a point where complex, cross-jurisdictional processes outpace available capacity. Our long-term client, a leading company in the medical supply sector, found itself in exactly this position: Input VAT losses became so significant that they could no longer be ignored. Internal teams were already stretched with their ongoing responsibilities, leaving limited bandwidth to diagnose and repair the underlying process issues. Initial attempts to resolve the problems internally confirmed that focused, specialized support was necessary to achieve sustainable results.
 

Why specialized FRO professionals and how were they selected?

Based on prior successful collaborations and trust built over years, the client engaged Deloitte for targeted interim support. We began with a deep dive into the client’s needs, focusing on identifying the right specialist with cross-functional knowledge of VAT compliance, AP processes and technical environments, ensuring seamless integration with the client’s internal teams to optimize workflows and knowledge transfer, and providing hands-on support for manual corrections, data validation and interdepartmental communication. The selected expert was tasked with safeguarding data integrity, ensuring VAT compliance across several jurisdictions and facilitating collaboration between AP, VAT and technical teams as well as suppliers. Selection criteria included proven experience, a record of high-quality reporting and a collaborative approach aligned with the client’s culture and needs.
 

What measurable benefits did VAT recovery outsourcing deliver?

Impact was immediate and multifaceted: previously lost or frozen VAT was reclaimed, improving cash flow and tax efficiency; manual corrections and proactive communication improved process quality, ensuring complete and accurate VAT and Intrastat reports while reducing repeated checks and last-minute fixes; enhanced data compliance minimized tax risks and aligned processes with legal requirements across jurisdictions; collaboration strengthened across AP, VAT, technical teams and external suppliers, accelerating error resolution and streamlining workflows; and expert support eased pressure on internal staff, contributing to higher morale and retention.
 

When should companies seek interim expert financial support?

Typical signals include constant team overload and insufficient bandwidth for strategic projects, persistent recruitment challenges for specialist roles, recurring errors or gaps in financial processes and compliance, and rising complexity across jurisdictions and reporting requirements. Interim support - outsourcing specialized talent on an as-needed basis - offers a pragmatic path to accessing proven experts without long recruitment lead times, improving process quality, compliance and financial control immediately, scaling support flexibly as needs evolve, and reducing pressure on internal teams to support satisfaction and retention. If you need support with VAT recovery, AP process optimization or interim financial roles outsourcing - contact our team.

FAQ: VAT recovery and Financial Roles Outsourcing (FRO)