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The Criminal
Investigator role

What does the role involve

A Criminal Investigator uses a range of skills to investigate, build and progress criminal and financial tax investigations to tackle the most harmful tax cheats, ensuring nobody is beyond our reach.

The job is varied and interesting, from analysing material in the office, to going out undertaking arrests, searching premises, interviewing people under caution and giving evidence at court.

A Criminal Investigator always works within the Compliance Professional Standards.

How we work

Due to the nature of the work, a Criminal Investigator role is not a standard 9-5 position. You’ll be expected to be available to work outside HMRC standard operating hours, including working evenings, weekends and bank holidays, sometimes at short notice.

To recompense for this a flexibility payment is paid which is in addition to the standard salary. By accepting the flexibility payment, you are agreeing that you will meet all attendance requirements.

Read more about the flexibility payment in the tabs below.

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Utilising HMRC Powers

Investigate and gather evidence to build, progress and enhance criminal and financial investigations into attacks on our tax systems committed by individuals, corporate entities and organised crime groups.

Desk based duties

Analysing materials and preparing written and official documents, such as Search Warrants and Production Order applications, case files and reports whilst ensuring consistent high standards, in accordance with procedural and legislative requirements.

Search of premises

Searching premises under warrant or by statutory provision, seizure and detention of goods.

Applying laws as appropriate and always adhering to legislation and policy.

Undertake arrests

Conduct search of person and interview under caution. Diffusing potentially confrontational situations, whilst acting in accordance with legislation and policy.

Witness statements

Taking evidential witness statements from a variety of stakeholders, both internal and external. External stakeholders include the Police, Border Force, National Crime Agency, Crown Prosecutors and other Government Departments.

Decision making

Taking ownership and accountability for decisions and activities during investigations, subject to scrutiny and inspection by Higher and Senior Investigation Officers, the court system and external authorities.

Attend court

Giving evidence in criminal prosecutions and financial recovery hearings.

Surveillance

Undertaking surveillance.

About the training

To help you learn everything you need for the role, you’ll receive a comprehensive training programme. Roles are available for full-time and part-time working arrangements; however, you’ll need to be available full-time for the duration of the formal training events set out below.

This is a modularised programme consisting of 13 weeks training delivered over a minimum of 23 weeks, where you may have to work and stay away from home for periods of up to 2 weeks at a time, Monday to Friday (see more details under ‘Training locations’ below.)

You will complete stage 1 (2 weeks) and stage 2 (4 weeks) after which you will return to your team for a minimum of 12 weeks to consolidate your learning and commence working on criminal investigations. During this 12-week period there will be further training events that you will need to undertake (maximum of 4 weeks in total) which may further necessitate you to be away from home for a maximum of 1 week at a time.

You will then complete stage 3 (1 week) and stage 4 (2 weeks) before returning to your team.

There are breaks and time off built in, as it is essential that you attend all sessions ​on the programme you are allocated to.

Throughout the formal training and work on your team, you will undertake a Training Assessment Period (TAP). This will last for approximately 12 months from the start of your training. You will use the skills and knowledge you have gained during your learning on operational cases with full support.

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Types of training

Training consists of:

  • Face to face training.
  • Self-study digital learning packages.
  • Trainer facilitation.
  • Digital classroom events followed by workplace assessments.

Your learning includes:

  • Legal powers available to a Criminal Investigator and how to use those powers.
  • How to keep evidential records.
  • Carrying out premises searches and evidence gathering.
  • Planning for arrest and arrest procedure.
  • Investigating, interviewing, post arrest interviews and taking third party witness statements.
  • How to present evidence at court.

The qualifications

Successful applicants in England may be eligible for the Counter Fraud Investigator Apprenticeship (CFIA) and will work towards a Level 4 qualification awarded on completion of an ‘End Point Assessment’. This is completed after you have completed the TAP.

Applicants need to have achieved grades A-C or 9-4 in both GCSE Maths and English.

Any applicants who do not have, or can’t show that they have these qualifications, will need to attain Level 2 Functional Skills in both subjects by the end of the CFIA programme. HMRC will support you through this.

All successful applicants will work towards a Level 4 Accredited Counter Fraud Specialist (ACFS) qualification on successful completion of the programme. This includes those also eligible for the CFIA.

Training locations

Face to face training is unlikely to be available at your home office location and could be based anywhere in the UK. For this training it is likely that you will have to work and stay away from home for periods of up to two weeks at a time, Monday to Friday only. Where this is the case, hotel accommodation (where required) and travel and subsistence expenses will be met by HMRC.

There will also be weeks of digital training. For these weeks there will be no expectation of you being away from home overnight, but you may need to attend your local office.

Additionally

You’ll need to complete Public and Personal Safety Training (PPST) which requires a reasonable level of fitness. This will be refreshed, currently at a minimum of every 6 months but is under review.

About the payments

The Criminal Investigator role requires you to work flexibly both within HMRC standard hours and non-standard hours as needed by the business. This means you will be eligible for the Flexibility Payment. The payment comprises three levels, depending on the level of flexibility and additional attendance the role requires. 

The levels

Level 1a Officer – £3,900
This payment level requires you to change your hours of attendance at short notice, or no notice, a minimum of 75 times annually, with no upper limit, to meet operational demand. This includes night-time, weekends and public holidays.
You need to be contactable when off duty to be advised of changes to planned attendance, either directly or via a pre-agreed channel to be acknowledged as soon as possible.
Level 1b Officer – £1,900
This payment level requires you to be “On-Call”. You’ll need to be immediately contactable, able to provide advice and where required, be immediately available to work or attend a given location.
On-Call applies at all hours during specified off-duty periods including weekends and public holidays.
You need to be On-Call 1 week in 4, each On-Call week lasts for 7 days. 
Depending on the role requirements, you may be eligible to both the Level 1a & 1b payments.
Level 2 Officer – £10,100 (National) £11,700 (London)
This payment combines the elements of Level 1a and 1b and 275 additional hours.
The Flexibility Payment is subject to normal deductions, tax, national insurance and where appropriate pension contributions.

Examples of requirement

Change of duty
You plan to work from 8am to 4pm. At 2pm, you’re asked to help a colleague on static surveillance and actually finish working at 9pm.
Contactable when off duty
You are at home and off duty. At 8pm, your manager contacts you to advise that you’re required to attend at 6am the following day. You would be expected to respond, acknowledging the change, within two to three hours, or at the point before you go to bed for the night.
On-Call
During your On-Call week, you are off duty. At 1am you receive a call requiring you to attend immediately and assist colleagues to conduct a search.
Receipt of flexibility payment
Receipt of the flexibility payment is dependent on the successful completion of training.
On successfully completing phase 4 of the initial training you will be eligible to receive Level 1a.
If the role is eligible for Level 2 payment, then you will receive Level 1a until you successfully complete the Training and Assessment period (TAP), at which point you will be eligible to Level 2.

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