About

Craig Stobo

“With VITA, we are going back to the future, with old-fashioned client service front and centre, at a time when the indirect tax landscape has never been more complex and dynamic”
— Craig

Craig joined the business as a Partner in late 2023, bringing over two decades of experience advising businesses and governments in the UK and globally on FS indirect tax, law and policy and has worked with some of the largest retail and investment banks, insurers, funds and fintech in the UK. 

Craig will also lead our Sustainable Taxes offering.  With significant changes coming in the near future, including CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism), VITA will be one of the leading advisors supporting businesses to understand, and adapt and navigate the challenges that a new tax system will bring.  

Craig’s Specialisms

Craig leads our Financial Services and Insurance offering as he leverages relevant and practical indirect tax experience to reach innovative and practical solutions for FS businesses with a strong commercial focus.  He has previously advised a wide range of clients in the FS sector on indirect tax cost reduction, optimisation, compliance and process efficiency savings, including:  
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  • Specialist advice on the indirect tax implications of outsourcing key back-office services in order to maximise savings and efficiencies. 

  • Cost reduction and liability reviews, structuring and mitigation to reduce indirect tax drag on banking, insurance, fund and wealth management and FS adjacent businesses.

  • Improving existing indirect tax recovery methodologies by modelling, negotiating and agreeing Partial Exemption Special Methods with HMRC. 

  • Co-ordinating and delivering indirect tax advice on complex cross-border transactions and restructuring arrangements.

Other Interests

Craig is also Founding Chair of Sepsis Research FEAT, the UK’s sepsis research charity; he writes stories for children (as C.R. Stobo) and poems for adults.

His interests include: astronomy, meteorology, golf, curling, history, economics, Doctor Who and Partick Thistle FC – though not necessarily in that order.