This role focuses on maximising tax recovery when customers become insolvent whilst creating effective deterrents to prevent future losses from the potential misuse of insolvency processes, for example through repeated and contrived phoenix trading.

The role operates within a collaborative environment, supporting colleagues across compliance teams and working closely with external Insolvency Practitioners to achieve departmental objectives.

As a Complex Caseworker, you will be responsible for managing a personal portfolio of complex insolvency cases, providing specialist technical guidance to immediate team members and supporting regional compliance colleagues when insolvency processes are underway or anticipated.

The position requires expert application of insolvency law and relevant tax legislation to help HMRC collect more tax and prevent future losses. The role involves changing poor customer behaviour to reduce future tax losses arising from potential misuse of insolvency processes, including repeated and contrived phoenix trading.

You will drive positive change across the department in mitigating insolvency risk whilst representing HMRC as a creditor and ensuring Insolvency Practitioners take appropriate action to recover money owed.

The position includes training delivery responsibilities, coaching less experienced colleagues, and supporting the Insolvency Service in investigating potentially unfit directors.

We are committed to supporting your development from day one. A tailored learning pathway will be provided, with the duration and content of the training plan dependent on the level of experience you bring to the role. For most candidates, the training period will be up to 12 months, ensuring you gain the knowledge and confidence needed to succeed. All professionals in this role must complete a minimum of five days Continuous Professional Development annually.

The role may require travel and overnight stays

Person specification

We're looking for people with energy and enthusiasm to drive positive change right across the department in mitigating insolvency risk.

Reviewing complex insolvency cases to identify payment and behavioural risks to HMRC that can be addressed using the Insolvency Act, Company Directors Disqualification Act, taxes legislation or by supporting external Insolvency Practitioners.

You will be expected to:

• Apply expert knowledge of insolvency law or relevant taxes act legislation aimed at helping HMRC collect more tax and prevent future loss.
• Manage your own portfolio of complex cases, ensuring compliance with quality and governance standards. You'll follow governance procedures relevant to HMRC casework and accurately record and report your results.
• Collaborate with internal HMRC teams, such as supporting tax specialists dealing with insolvency or non-payment issues.
• Use your understanding of all main insolvency procedures to represent HMRC as a creditor and ensure Insolvency Practitioners take appropriate action to recover money owed to HMRC
• Share your expertise by delivering training sessions on insolvency to HMRC colleagues. You'll also coach and guide less experienced colleagues.
• Support the Insolvency Service in their efforts to investigate potentially unfit directors.

Essential Criteria

Recent in-depth insolvency experience, dealing with complex insolvency matters and a strong working knowledge of the insolvency legislation.

Desirable Criteria

One of the following qualifications:

• IPA Certificate of Proficiency in Insolvency
• Certificate of Proficiency in Personal Insolvency AND the Certificate of Proficiency in Corporate Insolvency.
• ICAEW Certificate in Insolvency
• Insolvency Profession Examination Programme (IPEP)

Working Patterns

We currently work 37 hours per week, covering various working arrangements during HMRC's standard operating hours between 7am and 8pm, Monday to Saturday. In some areas this includes weekends, evenings (up to 8pm) and some bank holidays.

Alternate /Special working arrangements can be considered, business need will dictate whether your request can be accommodated. The pay and annual leave for the vacancy will be pro-rata for successful part-time/part-year positions.

Our teams and customers are based across the UK, this means there may be an element of travel to other regional centres to provide face-to-face support where required.

Hybrid Working

In CCG we offer Hybrid working, however, HMRC is an office-based organisation. There is an expectation that all HMRC colleagues attend one of our regional centres for 60% of their working time in line with business requirements. Where the role is suitable, colleagues will have the opportunity to work from home for two days per week, or more where the business agrees. This includes evening and weekend working.

Contractual Homeworking

This role may be suitable for existing HMRC employees who are contractual homeworkers. Occasional attendance to the office will be required where there is a business need, so please consider the advertised office locations for this role when applying and only select a location from the 'location preferences' section that you are able to travel to.

Any applications that do not meet this eligibility criteria will be withdrawn.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £36,320, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £10,521 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.
• Pension - We make contributions to our colleagues' Alpha pension equal to at least 28.97% of their salary.
• Family friendly policies.
• Personal support.
• Coaching and development.

To find out more about HMRC benefits and find out what it's really like to work for HMRC h ear from our insiders or visit Thinking of joining the Civil Service.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window) , and will assess your Experience and Technical ability.

The application process is made up of 3 stages: Application, Sift & Interview.

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Stage 1 - Application

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

• Civil Service Verbal Reasoning Test.
• Civil Service Work Strengths Test.
• A name blind CV.
• A 500-word Personal Statement.
• 250 Desirable criteria Statement.

Online Tests

On receipt of the invite, please complete the online tests as soon as possible. Guidance will be available when you are invited to take the test.

If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline supplied your application will be withdrawn. The test is administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

Candidates successful at the online test stage will progress to the sift.

Application

Your CV should detail your Employment History covering up to 3 of your last jobs/roles (300 words in total), giving a brief summary of what you delivered and any key achievements in each role.

Please also provide details of any qualifications you hold.

Please use the following format:

• Name of employer
• Dates worked (to and from)
• Job title
• Description

Your Personal Statement (Max 500 words) must be used to describe how your skills and experience would be suitable for the advertised role and why you want to apply, using evidence to directly address the Essential Criteria and Person Specification outlined in the advert.

Please complete a separate statement (Max 250 words) for the Desirable Criteria where applicable. This is not mandatory for the role but may be considered by the vacancy-holder where candidates have the same scores.

Stage 2 - Sift

We intend to sift the CV and Personal Statement to create a list of candidates to invite to interview.

In the event of large application number an initial sift will be carried out against your Personal Statement.

Sifting will commence as soon as possible following the closure of the advert.

Please note, we are unable to provide written feedback on applications that do not progress beyond the sift stage.

Stage 3 - Interview

If you are invited to interview, we will contact you via the Civil Service jobs portal to arrange a suitable date and time.

All interviews are conducted virtually via Teams.

During the interview, you will be asked experience-based questions aligned to the Essential Criteria and Person Specification for the role.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable adjustments to participate in the job application or interview process.

We may also raise the score required at any stage of the process if we receive a high number of applications.

Eligibility

Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form. We understand mistakes sometimes happen but if you contact us later than two working days(Monday-Friday) before the vacancy closes, we will not be able to reopen your application for you. If you do make a mistake with your eligibility form, please contact us via: complianceclusterrecruitment@hmrc.gov.uk - Use the subject line to insert appropriate wording for example - 'Please re-open my application - '420603 Insolvency Civil Recovery (ICR) Complex Caseworker & vacancy closing date 19/08/25'

To check that you are eligible to apply for this role, please review the eligibility information before submitting your application .

Reserve List

We are recruiting to ensure we have a sufficient supply of high calibre people, with the right skills to help us deliver our business, now and in the future. Please note, we will be making some immediate postings in strict merit order following pre-employment checks, however we may not be able to appoint all successful applicants straight away.

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles - if this applies to you, we'll let you know via your Civil Service Jobs account. Please be aware that we cannot guarantee you will be offered a role from the Reserve list you may be placed in.

Criminal Record Check

Applications received from candidates with a criminal record are considered fairly in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice and the Recruitment of ex-offenders Policy.

Merit List

After interview, merit lists will be created for each location advertised within the vacancy. If you are successful at interview, you will be placed on the merit list the location you have expressed an interest for. Appointments from each merit list will be made in strict merit order. We will look to match and retain skills where possible.

Reasonable Adjustments

We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact the UBS Recruitment Team via complianceclusterrecruitment@hmrc.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the "Assistance required" section in the "Additional requirements" page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you're deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Additional Security Information

Please note: in addition to the standard pre-employment checks for appointment into the Civil Service, all candidates must also obtain National Security Vetting at Counter Terrorist Check (CTC) clearance level for this vacancy. You will normally need to meet the minimum UK residency period as determined by the level of vetting being undertaken, which for CTC is 3 years UK residency prior to your vetting application. If you have any questions about this residency requirement, please speak to the vacancy holder for this post

Transitional Sites

For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations .

If your location preference is for one of the following sites, it's important to note that these are not long-term sites for HMRC and we will require you to move to a new building in the future, subject to our location strategy and the applicable employee policies at that time.

These sites are:

• Waterview Park, Washington - moving to Pilgrims Quarter, Newcastle
• Benton Park View, Newcastle - moving to Pilgrims Quarter, Newcastle
• Centenary Court, Bradford - moving to 7 and 8 Wellington Place, Leeds
• Lynx House, Portsmouth - moving to No.1 The Goodsyard, Portsmouth
• Telford Plaza, Telford - moving to Parkside Court, Telford
• Trinity Bridge House, Manchester - moving to an alternative office in Manchester/ Salford
  Terms and Conditions
  
  Customer facing roles in HMRC require the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English and/or Welsh where required. Where this is an essential requirement, this will be tested as part of the selection process.
  
  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 .
  
  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 will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant application(s) will be withdrawn from the process.
  
  Recording of interviews is prohibited unless explicit agreement is sought in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulations.
  
  Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.
  
  Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant's details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
  
  A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
  
  New entrants will join on the minimum of the pay band.
  
  Please note that, if you are applying for roles on a part-time basis, the salary agreed will be pro-rata, reflective of the working hours agreed within your contract.
  
  If you experience accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
  
  Transferring into HMRC from another Government Department
  
  If you are currently working for an 'Other Government Department' (OGD) and would like to consider the impact on your pay when joining HMRC, please see the attached document "Combined T&C and OGD Pay English", found at the bottom of this advert. Further information on staff transfers can be found on gov.uk

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

Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window) .

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window) .

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

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : MCTP Recruitment Team
• Email : mctpcandidatequeries@hmrc.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : complianceclusterrecruitment@hmrc.gov.uk

Further information
Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. You have the right to complain if you feel there has been a breach of the Recruitment Principles.

In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly via ubsrecruitmentcomplaints@hmrc.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their website.

Attachments
Telerau ac Amodau, a Chyflog Adrannau Eraill o'r Llywodraeth - Cymraeg - Gorffennaf 2024 Opens in new window (pdf, 436kB) Combined TC and OGD Pay - English Opens in new window (pdf, 410kB)