Tax Specialist Programme 2025

Reference number

369718

Salary

£35,092 - £50,509

National: (£35,092 - £37,725) London: (£39,893 - £42,898). Salary on successful completion of TSP National: £54,439, London: £61,253

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Job grade

Higher Executive Officer
Senior Executive Officer

Contract type

Permanent

Business area

HMRC - CCG - Central

Type of role

Tax Profession

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time, Part-time

Number of jobs available

500

Location

Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Croydon, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Nottingham, Portsmouth, Stratford

About the job

Job summary

Discover a career in your hands at HMRC. Whether you're seeking purpose, growth, or a workplace that gives you a true sense of belonging, hear from some of our employees as they share their story about what it’s really like to work at HMRC.

Are you ready to embark on an exciting journey to become a highly skilled tax professional?

Tax is at the core of our nation's financial foundation. From day one, you'll take on professional responsibility, ensuring that the government can fund vital services like hospitals, schools, police, transportation and defence.

Following your successful promotion from the programme you will specialise in a specific tax regime and explore various areas of work, from managing relationships with major corporations to uncovering tax avoidance schemes and tackling fraud.

Job description

HMRC’s Tax Professionals are responsible for ensuring that everyone who is liable to tax pays the right amount at the right time in the right place. You’ll be working directly with customers ranging from those who want to be compliant but need help with the complexity of tax, to those who are wilfully noncompliant.

As part of HMRC’s Tax Specialist Programme, you’ll join our team of highly skilled tax professionals and tackle these most challenging aspects of tax compliance work. Along the way, you'll gain valuable experience, learning how to resolve tax disputes, lead teams, interact with senior business figures and tackle complex tax issues. You'll play a vital role in our mission to ensure tax compliance and create a fair tax system.

How will we support you to become a highly skilled tax professional?

Dive into engaging learning sessions each week which are delivered virtually. Your progression with work and learning will be formally assessed at regular intervals during the course. Craft your working week strategically, to foster collaboration and hone your professional skills.

You’ll need to navigate tax compliance casework, projects and various tasks to grow your ability and experience. Be part of a vibrant office environment, attending in person at least three days a week for a well-rounded experience.

You can find out more about what it’s like on the Tax Specialist Programme on the Civil Service Careers website.

See what it’s like to work at HMRC by asking our colleagues a question. Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.

Person specification

We need you to have excellent potential to develop and achieve the skills required for this senior leadership role within 3 to 4 years. Given the complexity and significance of the work involved, we're looking for individuals with integrity, professionalism and unwavering resilience . We want independent thinkers who can analyse and solve problems, confidently express their views and take the initiative to deliver outstanding results.

You'll also develop valuable skills in persuasion, influencing and negotiation.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,092, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £10,166 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

HMRC operates both Flexible and Hybrid Working policies, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments. We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, considering our operational and customer service needs.

We offer a generous leave allowance, starting at 25 days and increasing by a day for every year of qualifying service up to a maximum of 30 days.

• Family friendly policies.
• Personal support.
• Coaching and development.
• Pension - we make contributions to our colleagues’ Alpha pension equal to at least 28.97% of their salary.

To find out more about HMRC benefits and find out what it’s really like to work for HMRC hear from our insiders.

Pay

External candidates will start on the minimum of the respective pay range, location dependent. Internals and OGD's if applying on promotion will be uplifted to the minimum of the HEO pay range. If you're a current HEO you will remain on your substantive pay unless its lower than the minimum of a HEO, then you will be uplifted. If you're an SEO you will remain on your current pay until the end of the programme.

On successful completion of the Tax Specialist Programme, you will receive automatic promotion to Grade 7 Tax Specialist role which is a senior leadership position within HMRC.

You will receive a one-off bonus of £2,500 and your salary will increase to £54,439 (National), £61,253 (London).

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Ability.

Eligibility

To join the programme, you will need to have a minimum 2:2 degree or equivalent (level 6 qualification) at application stage, or the expectation of a 2:2 degree or equivalent (level 6) before September 2025. Civil Servants who do not meet the academic qualification can apply if you were recruited through fair and open competition and have passed your probation period before September 2025.

Civil Servants at risk of redundancy will be able to declare this when applying for roles by ticking a box as part of their online application. Candidates who meet the minimum criteria for a role will then progress to the next Civil Service Online Test.

Important information for existing HMRC contractual homeworkers:

The development programme is extremely demanding and requires a significant amount of face-to-face attendance at both internal and external meetings, this is fundamental to the role.

However, we do not feel it would be appropriate to exclude existing home workers, therefore should a candidate reach the stage of an offer we would have a one-to-one discussion with them to explore if it was something they were able to commit to.

In addition, it should be noted that not all G7 roles which trainees are promoted into at the end of the programme are considered as being suitable for homeworking.

Ready to apply?

All civil servants are appointed on merit through fair and open competition in line with the Civil Service Commission: Recruitment Principles. The selection process will consider your attitude, capability, and talent . If appointed you will be and are expected to carry out your role with dedication and a commitment to the Civil Service and its core values of integrity, honesty, objectivity, and impartiality .

Stage 1: Application & Online Tests

Applications for the programme close 23:55 on 21 October 2024 . The deadline for completing the initial tests is 11:30 on 23 October 2024 . We recommend you have access to a desktop computer or laptop and somewhere quiet to do this.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete the following:

• First Stage Eligibility Form - this is a short application asking just some basic details you will also be asked some questions about your qualifications.
• Online Tests - you are required to take the Civil Service Verbal and Numerical tests.

Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended). If you experience technical problems with your test, you must contact tsprecruitmentteam@hmrc.gov.uk if you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

It is vital that you check your answers in your first stage form before submitting. If you think you’ve made a mistake on a short application form (e.g. you’ve ticked the incorrect eligibility box), please contact tsprecruitmentteam@hmrc.gov.uk at least two working days before the vacancy closes. After this, we won’t be able to reopen your application.

If you contact us on or after the day of the deadline, we may not be able to assist you and you may not be considered for the role.

If you meet the minimum standard for each test your application will be put on hold for further consideration. Meeting the minimum standard is no guarantee of an invitation to continue the selection process. After the test deadline, we will review all scores from the verbal and numerical tests. We will consider the impact on protected groups, and the number of places available at the next stage.

We reserve the right to increase the scores for all tests to manage the applications through to Stage 2. You will be informed if you have passed or failed the raised standard. 14 individual merit lists will be formed at this stage and progression to Stage 2 will be based on pass rates for each Regional Centre Location. These scores may vary depending on each Regional Centre location. You will only be allowed to select one location preference , and this will be used throughout the recruitment process.

Banked Scores

If you have taken and passed the Civil Service Numerical or Verbal test within the last 6 months at HO level, your score for these tests will be carried over to your application. The Civil Service Styles Assessment does not bank a score.

If you took your Numerical or Verbal test more than 6 months ago, or at a different grade, your score will not be used for this role, and you must take it again on this application. You cannot retake the test once it has submitted, so it is important that you take your time and allow plenty of time for it to be submitted.

Stage 2: Civil Service Styles Assessment

This test will open on 30 October and will close on 6 November at 11:30 and further information will be provided for successful candidates.

14 individual merit lists will be reformed at this stage and progression to Stage 3 will be based on pass rates for each Regional Centre Location and these scores may vary depending on location. Every applicant will need to meet a minimum standard but not all will be successful in progressing to Stage 3. You will only be allowed to select one location preference , and this will be used throughout the recruitment process.

Stage 3: Video Interview

This pre-recorded video interview will open on 15 November 2024 and will close 11:30 on 25 November 2024 . Every applicant will need to meet a minimum standard but not all will be successful in progressing to Stage 4.

Stage 4: Assessment Centre

A half-day virtual assessment centre to be held between 27 January 2025 to 7 March 2025 and further information will be provided for successful candidates.

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences. Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating including using any form of AI will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant application/s will be withdrawn from the process.

Duplicate applications for the same vacancy will also be withdrawn.

Locations

HMRC has a presence in every region of the UK. For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations. You will be asked to provide one location preference, and this will remain throughout the selection process. Please consider the advertised office locations for this role when applying and only select locations from the ‘location preferences’ section that you can travel to.

Problems during the application process

If you experience accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section. For reasonable adjustments queries or requests, please see details within reasonable adjustments section above. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment centre.

Reasonable Adjustments

The Civil Service runs a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process because of a disability, condition, or impairment. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.

HMRC operates within the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS).

Candidates who tick the DCS box will be invited to take video interview if they meet the minimum standard at online test stage. We have a limited number of video interview slots, so it may not be possible to invite all DCS candidates to this stage. Further information will be provided after the online test stage.

Please also remember to tick the DCS and/or Help Required boxes on your application form if you are applying under the DCS and/or seeking additional support. If you need a reasonable adjustment or a change to be made so that you can make your application, review this information on reasonable adjustments, and contact tsprecruitmentteam@hmrc.gov.uk as soon as possible.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

There is scope to work flexibly with the opportunity to work remotely 2 days a week to foster a sustainable work life balance. We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible after considering operational and customer service needs. We can’t guarantee that we can meet all requests to work flexibly, as agreement will be subject to business ability to accommodate, and any request to work a more flexible arrangement should be made prior to your acceptance of the provisional offer. The programme can be completed on part time hours and the minimum number of hours required is 28/30 hours per week.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Other Tax Professional posts in HMRC

Where candidates perform well in the application process, but we are unable to offer you a place on the TSP, we may offer opportunities for Higher Officer and/or Officer roles. If this is the case, you will be given more detail about potential roles and asked to register your interest towards the beginning of June 2025.

Repeat applications

You cannot re-apply for the same year’s intake if you fail at any stage of the application process. Any second application will be flagged as a duplicate and removed from the system.

You can however apply again for the TSP programme the following year.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

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