Every year we collect over £800 billion, which helps pay for our vital public services. Our Tax Specialists are at the heart of this. They collect the full and correct amount of money due from UK taxpayers, investigate offences against the tax system and take action to identify and mitigate potential threats. The work is varied and stretching with no two days the same. From supporting individuals to working with large multi-national organisations. Our aim is simple – to ensure all taxpayers pay the right amount of tax at the right time.
Our Tax Specialists are proud of the work they do and the impact it has on the countries vital services.
If you’d like to learn more about what our Tax Specialists do, and learn more about the application process, then read on.
Application tips
Show video transcript
- [Text on screen: Application tips, anonymising your CV]
- [Text on screen: Why are we using a CV only approach?]
- [Matt, Talent Acquisition Advisor, HMRC] So we've gone with a CV only approach primarily as part of our commitment to a great candidate journey when applying to join HMRC obviously we want you to have a great experience when applying to join us and we wanted to remove any unnecessary hurdles and be as competitive and comparable with the private sector application process as possible.
- [Text on screen: Why do CV’s need to be anonymised?]
- [Matt] So we need you to anonymise your CV as part of our commitment to a fair and open recruitment process so we need to try and remove any potential bias from that wherever possible. Obviously we welcome applications from both internal and external candidates and we don't want any one of those groups to have an unfair advantage in the process.
- [Text on screen: What do you need to do to anonymise your CV?]
- [Matt] So what you need to think about when anonymising your application, is the removal of any references that could identify you as a person. primarily that's going to be your name and any email address that you would typically include in your application.
- [Text on screen: Submitting your application]
- [Matt] So when it comes to completing your application once you've completed an initial short form you'll be presented with two boxes one of those is for your CV slash career history and one of those is for your qualifications relevant to the role. What I would recommend that you keep in mind first and foremost is that your CV can remain essentially the same. We are still looking for a really good overview of your career history, employer names and employment dates and any key skills and achievements relevant to the role. One thing to bear in mind when doing that, is to explain to us what you did, but also how you did it. That will provide us with a really clear overview of what you've achieved in the past and the skills that you bring to this role. Underneath your career history application section you'll also see an opportunity to fill in your qualifications that are relevant to the role and the essential criteria. One tip would be to include those qualifications most relevant to the role at the top of that list.
- [Text on screen: Tips for applying]
- [Matt] Here are some tips for applying. Be clear, concise and ensure that information is easily digestible. Emphasise any transferable skills and the measurable impacts. Align directly to the role requirements, making sure that you talk about what you did and how you did it. Carefully review your application before submitting. Please do get in touch if you have any questions at all throughout the application process using the details in the advert itself. We do want to make this a really straightforward process for you and would welcome any questions at any stage.
Tax Specialists: Watch Matt’s video for some application tips
Working as a Tax Specialist at HMRC
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- [Text on screen: HMRC logo. Working as a Tax Specialist. People. Purpose. Potential]
- [Text on screen: What do you like most about being a Tax Specialist?]
- [Asmah, Tax Specialist, HMRC] I would say number one is definitely the people. I spent a lot of my time at work, so having a friendly and supportive team around me is really important. Secondly, I would say the variety of the work. It gives you the opportunity to push yourself to learn and to grow. Thirdly, I would say there is a healthy work-life balance, and the offices themselves, so the regional centres, are all quite modern and quite newly built and they cater for all employees, so it's a very nice environment to work in.
- [Emma, Tax Specialist, HMRC] I would recommend HMRC as a really great employer. I think the work – life balance is great, especially where I work, and the care that management has shown towards myself, towards other employees who have ongoing health issues is second to none in trying to balance business needs versus the personal needs.
- [James, Tax Specialist, HMRC] I really enjoy getting to the end of a case where there's an appropriate settlement has been reached with a taxpayer and they've changed their ways for the better, so we've got them on the right path. They're fully complying with tax payment and filing obligations, and they've effectively turned over a new leaf. Knowing that you've changed their behaviour and got them to comply like the overwhelming majority of taxpayers in this country do is a really beneficial thing and it helps me to feel like I'm making a difference for the nation's finances.
- [Kim, Tax Specialist, HMRC] The money that I am bringing in is funding vital public services, so when I get a big settlement I like to do a quick calculation as to how many nurses I've kept employed for a year and I feel, you know, that I've really contributed to society, and it's great to work here, they're so flexible and they provide plenty of support. I'd thoroughly recommend that, you know, if you want a great place to work then this is suitably challenging, and you're well supported throughout.
- [Text on screen: People. Purpose. Potential.]
Watch this video to hear from Asmah, Emma, James and Kim on what they like most about working as a Tax Specialist at HMRC.
Fraud Investigation Service
HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service (FIS) tackles the most serious cases of tax fraud and financial crime. With over 5,000 skilled professionals across the UK, FIS uses a range of civil and criminal powers to unravel complex frauds and bring perpetrators to justice. 
As part of a talented, collaborative team, you could be analysing financial records, conducting interviews, or presenting evidence in court. The work is varied and challenging, requiring excellent communication skills, attention to detail, and the ability to build strong cases. 
FIS offers the opportunity to apply expertise in tax law, accountancy, cybercrime, and other specialisms to protect public finances and ensure no case of fraud or corruption is beyond reach. With real responsibility from day one, it’s a role where you can make a difference while developing specialised investigation skills. 
Show video transcript
- [Text on screen: HMRC logo. Fraud Investigation Service. People. Purpose. Potential]
- [Text on screen: What’s it like working in the Fraud Investigation Service?]
- [Kim, Tax Specialist, HMRC] My job as a Civil Investigator is to establish the correct amount of tax along with interest and an appropriate financial penalty. And I absolutely love it. The nature of the job I do means that I have a number of cases. Every single one is a different trade or issue, meaning that I have to know about a wide variety of taxes. I have to know about a wide variety of trades and how they work. And also the levels of cooperation are different. On one case I might get given the information voluntarily. On another case I may have to go to a tribunal in order to obtain their bank statements. So there are no two cases the same. There are no two days the same. You know this is a job for people that thrive in in a dynamic environment, where you need to be dynamic.
- [Text on screen: People. Purpose. Potential. HMRC logo]
Working as a Tax Specialist in the Fraud Investigation Service at HMRC (Kim)
Show video transcript
- [Text on screen: HMRC logo. Fraud Investigation Service. People. Purpose. Potential]
- [Text on screen: What’s it like working in the Fraud Investigation Service?]
- [James, Tax Specialist, HMRC] Sometimes the job can be like trying to do a jigsaw without all the pieces, or without even knowing where the frame ends. You've got some things that you know are connected, you don't know how they connect and you don’t know what way, nor do you have the picture that you're trying to assemble the jigsaw on the basis of. And I would equate that to the investigation of complex tax affairs, where things are often hidden or have the appearance of being hidden. And it's your job to find them, put them together and make the case.
- [Text on screen: People. Purpose. Potential. HMRC logo]
Working as a Tax Specialist in the Fraud Investigation Service at HMRC (James)
Wealthy and Mid-sized Business Compliance
The Wealthy and Mid-sized Business Compliance (WMBC) directorate aims to put compliance and customer service at the heart of everything we do by taking a ‘customer segment’ approach, focusing on customers rather than different types of tax, so we can target and coordinate our responses more effectively.
We focus on wealthy individuals, mid-sized businesses as well as public bodies and employment status and intermediaries, providing insight into the wealthy population, their tax affairs, and the businesses they own or influence. We have a key part to play in promoting and supporting the growth that mid-sized businesses bring to the UK economy. This is part of HMRC’s wider work to promote growth and minimise cost to business while maximising compliance.
As part of a talented, collaborative team, you could be analysing financial records, conducting interviews, or presenting evidence in court. The work is varied and challenging, requiring excellent communication skills, attention to detail, and the ability to build strong cases. 
Show video transcript
- [Text on screen: HMRC logo. Wealthy and Mid-sized Business Compliance. People. Purpose. Potential]
- [Text on screen: What’s it like working in Wealthy and Mid-sized Business Compliance?]
- [Asmah, Tax Specialist, HMRC] So what does a typical day look like for me? I would say there's not actually a typical day and that's one of the things I most enjoy about the job. So, yes, I'm involved in case work, but it's very rare for two cases to be the same, so that always means I'm looking at different areas of legislation on my various cases. And that just helps me learn and grow which I quite like. And I'm often involved on different projects as well so it's the variety of the work that I really find interesting. Prior to joining HMRC I worked in practice for several years and so I did have an understanding of the various areas of taxation I specialise in prior to joining. However, one of the things I found quite useful after joining was the access to the internal training resources. I think it's impossible to know everything there is to know about the area of tax that you specialise in, whether that be income tax, or capital gains tax, there's always a niche area that you're going to need to research. And I think having the online resources available to dip in and out of is really useful. But in addition to the online resources you've also got your colleagues. My team are always really open to having phone calls to discuss cases and in particular my manager has been a really good support in that area.
- [Text on screen: People. Purpose. Potential. HMRC logo]
Working as a Tax Specialist in Wealthy and Mid-sized Business Compliance at HMRC (Asmah)
Large Business
Large Business is responsible for over 2,000 of the largest businesses that pay a significant proportion of the total business taxes and duties that HMRC collects. Our dedicated team of 2,500 specialists work alongside our Customer Compliance Manager who are responsible for managing the overall relationship with the customer and all aspects of the customer’s tax affairs.
Within this Tax Specialist role, you will be part of a Compliance team that has a customer facing role with a significant emphasis on customer compliance.
Large and complex businesses play a pivotal role in the UK economy and you can be part of this.
Show video transcript
- [Text on screen: HMRC logo. Large Business. People. Purpose. Potential]
- [Text on screen: What’s it like working in Large Business?]
- [Emma, Tax Specialist, HMRC] My job involves looking specifically at financial arrangements amongst multinationals and large corporates. It involves doing document and information reviews to establish exactly what the intention was of bringing debt into the UK. And therefore, assessing whether a large corporate or multinational can claim the full amount of interest deductions that they have through their tax return. This in turn means that it can result in bringing extra cash into the revenue, which is obviously great for myself and the team that I work with. When I'm having a bad day ,there's always somebody to lean on. The people that work as part of HMRC and within my team are an amazing group of people. They're always so supportive and there's always somebody who's experienced something similar to what you're going through at work.
- [Text on screen: People. Purpose. Potential. HMRC logo]
Working as a Tax Specialist in Large Business at HMRC (Emma)
Individuals and Small Business Compliance
The Individuals and Small Business Compliance (ISBC) directorate deals with HMRC’s largest and most diverse group of customers, nearly 32 million individuals and five million small businesses – the people who drive the UK’s economy.
ISBC is responsible for managing compliance risks across all the main taxes and duties and leads work tackling the hidden economy, facilitating international trade, and enforcing the National Minimum Wage.
Show video transcript
- [Text on screen: HMRC logo. Individuals and Small Business Compliance. People. Purpose. Potential]
- [Text on screen: What’s it like working in Individuals and Small Business Compliance?]
- [Danny, Tax Specialist, HMRC] Working in ISBC is incredibly interesting. We have the largest and most varied customer population in HMRC, covering anyone from an individual selling stuff part-time out of their garage, to companies turning over up to 10 million pounds, and everything in between. I mainly cover corporation tax, income tax, and capital gains tax, and a day in my life could be anything from an office day reviewing company accounts and information, looking for any potential issues with those, to going out at 2am with other law enforcement agencies and conducting an unannounced visit on a business premises. The great thing about our work is that we have such a large variety of different types of cases and a good level of autonomy. The ISBC population is so varied that there's always something interesting to get involved in and the level of support from managers and colleagues is fantastic. An example of this is that I have a keen interest in football, so I've been lucky enough to get in involved in compliance work within the football industry, so there really is something out there for everyone and in ISBC almost every day will be different.
- [Text on screen: People. Purpose. Potential. HMRC logo]
Working as a Tax Specialist in Individuals and Small Business Compliance at HMRC (Danny)
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