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E-mail: debra.dougal@haslers.com
Mob: 07966 633 708
BACKGROUND
Worked for H M Customs and Excise (now H M Revenue & Customs) from 1986 to 2000 as an Executive Office, Higher Executive Officer and Senior Officer.
Joined a top ten firm of City accountants as a VAT Assistant Manager in 2000, progressing to Manager and then Senior Manager.
Joined Haslers in 2005 to head up the VAT Department of which she was made partner on 1st Janaury 2008.
EXPERIENCE
Whilst in Customs, Debra worked initially in the VAT Policy Division before moving on to VAT Assurance, where she was responsible for visiting businesses, auditing their VAT systems and declarations.
In 1993 Debra was promoted and moved into VAT fraud investigation where she spent the last 7 years of her Customs career, investigating and prosecuting civil and criminal VAT fraud cases.
On moving into practice, Debra gained extensive experience of the land and property sector, advising clients in the investment, development and construction specialisms on VAT mitigation. She gained in-depth experience in the charity, not- for- profit and international trade sectors whilst assisting clients generally with their VAT accounting responsibilities.
Since joining Haslers, Debra has continued to provide high level VAT consultancy to all clients, with specific emphasis on land and property, where VAT exposure can be very significant and therefore deal breaking. She regularly provides VAT advice on transactions and structures undertaken as tax planning strategies, to ensure that the taxes interact in the most efficient way.
Debra has successfully argued against Customs in clients´ favour to achieve substantial VAT savings in a range of cases, including recruitment consultants, property dealers and golf clubs and has succeeded in getting Customs to admit to misdirection and to paying compensation.
Throughout both her Customs and practice career, Debra has been involved in training delivery and has extensive lecturing experience which she continues to use, delivering seminars to clients and business groups.
