Lawyer (or Legal Officer - up to 1 years PQE for lawyers qualified in England & Wales)
Lawyer (or Legal Officer - up to 1 years PQE for lawyers qualified in England & Wales)
- London
- Bristol City
- Greater London
- Greater Manchester
- West Yorkshire
- Amser llawn
- Gweithio’n hyblyg
- Rhan-amser
- Rhannu swydd
- Cau ar: Tach 24 2026
- £47,047 - £75,111
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.
Visit our YouTube channel to watch the full series and come and discover your potential.
At HMRC we are committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues; an inclusive and respectful environment that reflects the diversity of the society we serve.
We want to maximise the potential of everyone who chooses to work for us and we offer a range of flexible working patterns and support to make a fulfilling career at HMRC accessible to you.
Diverse perspectives and experiences are critical to our success and we welcome applications from all people from all backgrounds with the experience and skills needed to perform this role.
HMRC Legal Group gives legal advice on issues arising from HMRC's work and conducts HMRC's litigation. Our work impacts the lives of millions, as we help to collect the money that pays for the UK's public services and provide targeted financial support to families and individuals. We have around 1800 people including lawyers, tax professionals, advocates, paralegals and administrators. Our strength is in our diverse people and the inclusive working culture that brings us together.
We work in supportive, specialist teams, that handle a broad range of different areas of law, including tax law, commercial law, insolvency law, information law and criminal law, employer's liability for personal injury, focusing on either policy and operational advisory work or litigation. All our work has a strong public law element running through it, e.g. human rights, administrative law, freedom of information.
Why HMRC?
Things at HMRC probably don't work the way you'd think.
Tired of constant 60-hour plus weeks and the corporate grind?
Would you like to work on complex legal issues that make a positive difference to the nation's finances? If you're nodding your head reading this, you've come to the right place.
We offer hybrid working, with 60% average office attendance (and court time is counted as office hours), actual flexitime and genuine work-life balance alongside fascinating technical work.
Job description
Advisory Lawyers
Our advisory lawyers give advice on the interpretation and application of legislation. This includes advising HMRC and Treasury ministers on a wide variety of taxes, including business tax, personal tax, customs, excise, environmental taxes and VAT law. We also advise on other issues, such as welfare, insolvency, information law and international law and treaties. Our advice encompasses areas of public and administrative law. We implement policy through primary and secondary legislation, including through the annual Finance Bill. We support policy colleagues at all stages of the parliamentary process as well as drafting a high volume of statutory instruments.
Our commercial lawyers give advice on high value and complex public procurement and contractual commercial legal issues within government. This includes providing legal support to HMRC's largest transformation programmes including IT and Estates. We support HMRC's day to day banking and general commercial operations, including all aspects of commercial contracts, intellectual property rights, public procurement and state aid, contract and supplier management, and dispute resolution.
Our criminal lawyers give advice and support to investigators and policy makers, supporting HMRC's tax enforcement activity in investigating serious complex fraud and other criminal non-compliance.
Litigation Lawyers
Our litigation lawyers conduct litigation across the full range of HMRC work. We litigate some of the most challenging and important high value, complex Government litigation. These include big money tax cases and cases ranging from resisting judicial review challenges to litigating civil cases against those who benefit from the proceeds of crime. Our cases will often involve novel and challenging points of law and contribute to developing the interpretation of the law. We regularly litigate through the higher courts to the Supreme Court.
Who are we looking for?
We are recruiting qualified lawyers, and we would like you to apply whatever level of experience you have.
We have vacancies for lawyers in both our advisory and litigation work. Although you do not need to have any existing knowledge of our work or tax experience, as part of the application process you will be required to consider public law, which is at the heart of everything we do. Strong intellectual and analytical skills are important for our lawyers. We will give you training and support so you can continue to develop your existing knowledge and expertise together with developing specific expertise in our work. You can expect to move teams within our diverse practice every few years to build up your skills and experience.
If you have already developed a specialism in any of our work areas, we'd be keen to know about that, so please tell us about it in your application form. Please bear in mind that you will be offered a role in order of merit and not necessarily within your specialism.
Grade 7/Legal Officer (LO)
Depending on the duration and nature of your previous legal experience, if successful you may be appointed as a Grade 7 lawyer or as a Legal Officer. Solicitors qualified in England & Wales who have less than 1 year's post-qualification legal experience will usually be appointed as a Legal Officer. Barristers qualified in England & Wales who have less than 2 years' post-qualification legal experience will usually be appointed as a Legal Officer. For lawyers qualified in other jurisdictions the level of post-qualification legal experience required to be appointed as a Grade 7 lawyer or Legal Officer will vary, depending on the qualification requirements for your particular jurisdiction.
Legal experience is defined as either working as a trainee lawyer pre-qualification or working as a lawyer post qualification.
For further information regarding the role please see the Legal Group Lawyers 2026 Information Pack attached to the advert.
Person specification
You must ensure that you meet all the eligibility criteria listed below. Our application form will ask you to show this.
Qualifications
Academic and Professional
You should have a minimum of a 2.1 honours degree (in any subject). If you hold an overseas degree qualification this should be equivalent to a 2.1 degree.
HMRC will consider applicants who do not have a 2.1 degree but only where satisfactory evidence of equivalent high level academic and/or professional achievement can be provided. For example, if you have:
Significant relevant experience
Completion of a level 6 apprenticeship or other level 6 qualification
A commendation or distinction in the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)/CPE or the Legal Practice Course (LPC)
An LLM or other postgraduate degree
Very competent on the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC)
You must be qualified to practise as a Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive in England and Wales. However, we also accept applications from overseas qualified candidates. You must have completed a training contract/pupillage/qualifying employment or have been exempted from this by the Law Society, the Bar Council or CILEx.
Please note that you cannot apply more than 3 months before your qualification date.
Professional entry criteria for Chartered Legal Executives (Fellows). You are eligible to apply where:
a Qualifying Law Degree (QLD) is held; or
SQE 1 and 2 passed or
the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)/CPE has been completed, or
where exams have been passed (i.e. a score of 50% or above achieved) at CILEx Level 6, in all the seven foundation subjects in law: contract law, criminal law, equity and trusts law, European Union Law, land law, public law and law of tort.
Note, there are specific requirements relating to academic achievement in the CILEx Level 6 exams where these are being used to demonstrate 2.1 degree equivalence. In these circumstances an average score of 65% or above is required across exams passed in the seven foundation subjects in law where studied at CILEx level 6: namely contract law, criminal law, equity and trusts law, European Union Law, land law, public law and law of tort.
If you are a qualified lawyer in a jurisdiction outside England and Wales, you may be able to apply but this will depend on the level of your pre and post qualification legal experience. Legal experience is defined as either working as a trainee lawyer pre-qualification or working as a lawyer post qualification. If you are recently qualified and have less than 2 years legal experience obtained in your qualifying jurisdiction in total (whether gained pre or post qualification) you are likely to be ineligible. If you have less than 3 years legal experience overall you will be appointed as a Legal Officer. In addition you should be aware that we need you to become qualified in England and Wales within 2 years of starting employment with us, and your employment will be conditional upon you successfully becoming qualified within this time. This may cause you some cost. Further information on qualification is available from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and the Bar Standards Board (BSB).
Essential Criteria
You need to fulfil the person specification, comprising the academic criteria and professional qualifications including either qualification as a Solicitor or Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive in England and Wales, (or that you will be so qualified within 3 months from the date that the advert closes). If you are an eligible foreign qualified lawyer (with at least 2 years legal experience whether pre or post qualification), you will need to become qualified in England and Wales within 2 years of starting employment with HMRC.
Further Location Information
Please ensure that you only apply for a location that you are willing and able to work from, as we will only make one offer of employment. Any additional notes included in a 'Further Location Preferences (optional)' field within the application form, will not be considered. Please be aware that you cannot change your location preference after submitting your application.
Leeds Locations
Moves Adjustment Payment will be available for this role, provided the successful applicant is a current HMRC colleague in Bradford and meets the eligibility requirements outlined in the HMRC's Moves Adjustment Payment guidance.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
Alongside your salary of £47,047, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £13,629 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).
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.
Things you need to know
Artificial intelligence
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 (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Technical skills.
How to Apply
Please use this link to apply.
Webinar to provide additional information on the selection process
There will be a webinar that will provide additional information, including an opportunity to meet existing HMRC lawyers and ask questions. The webinar will be recorded for anyone who is unable to attend.
Grade 7 Candidate Information Session/Webinar - Thursday 19 November 12:30 - 2:00 pm - To join the webinar please click on the following link Grade 7 Candidate Information Session
Application Process
We may raise the score required at any stage of the process if we receive a high number of applications.
If you meet our minimum eligibility criteria, we will ask you to complete an online behaviour and cognitive assessment by a deadline.
If you meet the required standard, we'll ask you to complete a timed online written exercise to test your Legal Skills by a deadline. We will give you all the necessary information, including about the relevant law, to enable you to complete this.
We may also raise the score required at any stage of the process if we receive a high number of applications.
Interview
During the panel interview, you will be assessed on Behaviours, Motivational Fit and Technical skills.
Behaviours
You will be assessed on the following behaviours during the interview process.
We will ask you about your motivation for the job.
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
Grade 7/Legal Officer (LO)
Depending on the duration and nature of your previous legal experience, if successful you may be appointed as a Grade 7 lawyer or as a Legal Officer. Solicitors qualified in England & Wales who have less than 1 year's post-qualification legal experience will usually be appointed as a Legal Officer. Barristers qualified in England & Wales who have less than 2 years' post-qualification legal experience will usually be appointed as a Legal Officer. For lawyers qualified in other jurisdictions the level of post-qualification legal experience required to be appointed as a Grade 7 lawyer or Legal Officer will vary, depending on the qualification requirements for your particular jurisdiction.
Legal experience is defined as either working as a trainee lawyer pre-qualification or working as a lawyer post qualification.
Sponsorship
We have assessed this role against both Home Office and HMRC criteria and we are unable to offer sponsorship for a Skilled Worker Visa. This means the vacancy is not open to applicants who require visa sponsorship.
The HMRC app can help you with your application
The HMRC app can provide you with your past 5 years' employment history, making the process of filling in your application quicker and easier.
If successful in your application, you will need your National Insurance number for the onboarding process.
Download the HMRC app now and save your National Insurance number to your digital phone wallet.
How to download the HMRC app and sign up for an account
Download the free HMRC app from the App Store or Google Play store.
If you have an HMRC online account already, sign straight in using your ID and password. If not, you can prove your identity by answering some questions or providing your photo ID.
You'll then be able to access the app quickly and easily by signing in using a 6-digit PIN, your fingerprint, or facial recognition.
You can find guidance for technical issues on GOV.UK: Technical support with HMRC online services .
Reserve List
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.
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, a single merit list will be created, and you will only be considered for posts in locations you have expressed a preference for. Appointments will be made in strict merit order in line with the set number of roles in each location.
Hybrid working at HMRC
HMRC is an office-based organisation, and colleagues are expected to spend 60% of their working time in the office. Our offices provide opportunity for interaction, collaboration which aids learning and development and a sense of community. Where the role allows it, and where the home environment is suitable, colleagues can work from home for up to 2 days a week, averaged over a calendar month (or a proportionate amount of time for colleagues who work less than full time).
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:
Technical Support
If you are experiencing problems that cannot be resolved by our ' help ' section, then technical support is available. You will receive a reply in 2 working days
Important information for existing HMRC contractual homeworkers:
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. 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.
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.
For more Information for people applying for, or thinking of applying for, roles at HM Revenue and Customs, please see link: Working for HMRC: information for applicants - GOV.UK .
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a standard (or equivalent) 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:
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.
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 :
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 . Please note that we do not accept complaints or appeals regarding scoring of outcomes of campaigns unless candidates can provide clear evidence that the campaign did not follow the Recruitment Principles. 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
Legal Lawyers 2026 Information Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 1246kB)
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.
Visit our YouTube channel to watch the full series and come and discover your potential.
At HMRC we are committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues; an inclusive and respectful environment that reflects the diversity of the society we serve.
We want to maximise the potential of everyone who chooses to work for us and we offer a range of flexible working patterns and support to make a fulfilling career at HMRC accessible to you.
Diverse perspectives and experiences are critical to our success and we welcome applications from all people from all backgrounds with the experience and skills needed to perform this role.
HMRC Legal Group gives legal advice on issues arising from HMRC's work and conducts HMRC's litigation. Our work impacts the lives of millions, as we help to collect the money that pays for the UK's public services and provide targeted financial support to families and individuals. We have around 1800 people including lawyers, tax professionals, advocates, paralegals and administrators. Our strength is in our diverse people and the inclusive working culture that brings us together.
We work in supportive, specialist teams, that handle a broad range of different areas of law, including tax law, commercial law, insolvency law, information law and criminal law, employer's liability for personal injury, focusing on either policy and operational advisory work or litigation. All our work has a strong public law element running through it, e.g. human rights, administrative law, freedom of information.
Why HMRC?
Things at HMRC probably don't work the way you'd think.
Tired of constant 60-hour plus weeks and the corporate grind?
Would you like to work on complex legal issues that make a positive difference to the nation's finances? If you're nodding your head reading this, you've come to the right place.
We offer hybrid working, with 60% average office attendance (and court time is counted as office hours), actual flexitime and genuine work-life balance alongside fascinating technical work.
Job description
Advisory Lawyers
Our advisory lawyers give advice on the interpretation and application of legislation. This includes advising HMRC and Treasury ministers on a wide variety of taxes, including business tax, personal tax, customs, excise, environmental taxes and VAT law. We also advise on other issues, such as welfare, insolvency, information law and international law and treaties. Our advice encompasses areas of public and administrative law. We implement policy through primary and secondary legislation, including through the annual Finance Bill. We support policy colleagues at all stages of the parliamentary process as well as drafting a high volume of statutory instruments.
Our commercial lawyers give advice on high value and complex public procurement and contractual commercial legal issues within government. This includes providing legal support to HMRC's largest transformation programmes including IT and Estates. We support HMRC's day to day banking and general commercial operations, including all aspects of commercial contracts, intellectual property rights, public procurement and state aid, contract and supplier management, and dispute resolution.
Our criminal lawyers give advice and support to investigators and policy makers, supporting HMRC's tax enforcement activity in investigating serious complex fraud and other criminal non-compliance.
Litigation Lawyers
Our litigation lawyers conduct litigation across the full range of HMRC work. We litigate some of the most challenging and important high value, complex Government litigation. These include big money tax cases and cases ranging from resisting judicial review challenges to litigating civil cases against those who benefit from the proceeds of crime. Our cases will often involve novel and challenging points of law and contribute to developing the interpretation of the law. We regularly litigate through the higher courts to the Supreme Court.
Who are we looking for?
We are recruiting qualified lawyers, and we would like you to apply whatever level of experience you have.
We have vacancies for lawyers in both our advisory and litigation work. Although you do not need to have any existing knowledge of our work or tax experience, as part of the application process you will be required to consider public law, which is at the heart of everything we do. Strong intellectual and analytical skills are important for our lawyers. We will give you training and support so you can continue to develop your existing knowledge and expertise together with developing specific expertise in our work. You can expect to move teams within our diverse practice every few years to build up your skills and experience.
If you have already developed a specialism in any of our work areas, we'd be keen to know about that, so please tell us about it in your application form. Please bear in mind that you will be offered a role in order of merit and not necessarily within your specialism.
Grade 7/Legal Officer (LO)
Depending on the duration and nature of your previous legal experience, if successful you may be appointed as a Grade 7 lawyer or as a Legal Officer. Solicitors qualified in England & Wales who have less than 1 year's post-qualification legal experience will usually be appointed as a Legal Officer. Barristers qualified in England & Wales who have less than 2 years' post-qualification legal experience will usually be appointed as a Legal Officer. For lawyers qualified in other jurisdictions the level of post-qualification legal experience required to be appointed as a Grade 7 lawyer or Legal Officer will vary, depending on the qualification requirements for your particular jurisdiction.
Legal experience is defined as either working as a trainee lawyer pre-qualification or working as a lawyer post qualification.
For further information regarding the role please see the Legal Group Lawyers 2026 Information Pack attached to the advert.
Person specification
You must ensure that you meet all the eligibility criteria listed below. Our application form will ask you to show this.
Qualifications
Academic and Professional
You should have a minimum of a 2.1 honours degree (in any subject). If you hold an overseas degree qualification this should be equivalent to a 2.1 degree.
HMRC will consider applicants who do not have a 2.1 degree but only where satisfactory evidence of equivalent high level academic and/or professional achievement can be provided. For example, if you have:
Significant relevant experience
Completion of a level 6 apprenticeship or other level 6 qualification
A commendation or distinction in the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)/CPE or the Legal Practice Course (LPC)
An LLM or other postgraduate degree
Very competent on the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC)
You must be qualified to practise as a Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive in England and Wales. However, we also accept applications from overseas qualified candidates. You must have completed a training contract/pupillage/qualifying employment or have been exempted from this by the Law Society, the Bar Council or CILEx.
Please note that you cannot apply more than 3 months before your qualification date.
Professional entry criteria for Chartered Legal Executives (Fellows). You are eligible to apply where:
a Qualifying Law Degree (QLD) is held; or
SQE 1 and 2 passed or
the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)/CPE has been completed, or
where exams have been passed (i.e. a score of 50% or above achieved) at CILEx Level 6, in all the seven foundation subjects in law: contract law, criminal law, equity and trusts law, European Union Law, land law, public law and law of tort.
Note, there are specific requirements relating to academic achievement in the CILEx Level 6 exams where these are being used to demonstrate 2.1 degree equivalence. In these circumstances an average score of 65% or above is required across exams passed in the seven foundation subjects in law where studied at CILEx level 6: namely contract law, criminal law, equity and trusts law, European Union Law, land law, public law and law of tort.
If you are a qualified lawyer in a jurisdiction outside England and Wales, you may be able to apply but this will depend on the level of your pre and post qualification legal experience. Legal experience is defined as either working as a trainee lawyer pre-qualification or working as a lawyer post qualification. If you are recently qualified and have less than 2 years legal experience obtained in your qualifying jurisdiction in total (whether gained pre or post qualification) you are likely to be ineligible. If you have less than 3 years legal experience overall you will be appointed as a Legal Officer. In addition you should be aware that we need you to become qualified in England and Wales within 2 years of starting employment with us, and your employment will be conditional upon you successfully becoming qualified within this time. This may cause you some cost. Further information on qualification is available from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and the Bar Standards Board (BSB).
Essential Criteria
You need to fulfil the person specification, comprising the academic criteria and professional qualifications including either qualification as a Solicitor or Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive in England and Wales, (or that you will be so qualified within 3 months from the date that the advert closes). If you are an eligible foreign qualified lawyer (with at least 2 years legal experience whether pre or post qualification), you will need to become qualified in England and Wales within 2 years of starting employment with HMRC.
Further Location Information
Please ensure that you only apply for a location that you are willing and able to work from, as we will only make one offer of employment. Any additional notes included in a 'Further Location Preferences (optional)' field within the application form, will not be considered. Please be aware that you cannot change your location preference after submitting your application.
Leeds Locations
Moves Adjustment Payment will be available for this role, provided the successful applicant is a current HMRC colleague in Bradford and meets the eligibility requirements outlined in the HMRC's Moves Adjustment Payment guidance.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
- Managing a Quality Service
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- You will be asked to complete an online written exercise to test your Legal Skills by a deadline.
- You will be asked questions based on the same legal scenario as the written exercise
Alongside your salary of £47,047, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £13,629 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).
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.
Things you need to know
Artificial intelligence
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 (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Technical skills.
How to Apply
Please use this link to apply.
Webinar to provide additional information on the selection process
There will be a webinar that will provide additional information, including an opportunity to meet existing HMRC lawyers and ask questions. The webinar will be recorded for anyone who is unable to attend.
Grade 7 Candidate Information Session/Webinar - Thursday 19 November 12:30 - 2:00 pm - To join the webinar please click on the following link Grade 7 Candidate Information Session
Application Process
We may raise the score required at any stage of the process if we receive a high number of applications.
If you meet our minimum eligibility criteria, we will ask you to complete an online behaviour and cognitive assessment by a deadline.
If you meet the required standard, we'll ask you to complete a timed online written exercise to test your Legal Skills by a deadline. We will give you all the necessary information, including about the relevant law, to enable you to complete this.
We may also raise the score required at any stage of the process if we receive a high number of applications.
Interview
During the panel interview, you will be assessed on Behaviours, Motivational Fit and Technical skills.
Behaviours
You will be assessed on the following behaviours during the interview process.
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
- Managing a Quality Service
We will ask you about your motivation for the job.
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- You will be asked to complete an online written exercise to test your Legal Skills by a deadline.
- You will be asked questions at interview based on the same legal scenario as the written exercise.
Grade 7/Legal Officer (LO)
Depending on the duration and nature of your previous legal experience, if successful you may be appointed as a Grade 7 lawyer or as a Legal Officer. Solicitors qualified in England & Wales who have less than 1 year's post-qualification legal experience will usually be appointed as a Legal Officer. Barristers qualified in England & Wales who have less than 2 years' post-qualification legal experience will usually be appointed as a Legal Officer. For lawyers qualified in other jurisdictions the level of post-qualification legal experience required to be appointed as a Grade 7 lawyer or Legal Officer will vary, depending on the qualification requirements for your particular jurisdiction.
Legal experience is defined as either working as a trainee lawyer pre-qualification or working as a lawyer post qualification.
Sponsorship
We have assessed this role against both Home Office and HMRC criteria and we are unable to offer sponsorship for a Skilled Worker Visa. This means the vacancy is not open to applicants who require visa sponsorship.
The HMRC app can help you with your application
The HMRC app can provide you with your past 5 years' employment history, making the process of filling in your application quicker and easier.
If successful in your application, you will need your National Insurance number for the onboarding process.
Download the HMRC app now and save your National Insurance number to your digital phone wallet.
How to download the HMRC app and sign up for an account
Download the free HMRC app from the App Store or Google Play store.
If you have an HMRC online account already, sign straight in using your ID and password. If not, you can prove your identity by answering some questions or providing your photo ID.
You'll then be able to access the app quickly and easily by signing in using a 6-digit PIN, your fingerprint, or facial recognition.
You can find guidance for technical issues on GOV.UK: Technical support with HMRC online services .
Reserve List
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.
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, a single merit list will be created, and you will only be considered for posts in locations you have expressed a preference for. Appointments will be made in strict merit order in line with the set number of roles in each location.
Hybrid working at HMRC
HMRC is an office-based organisation, and colleagues are expected to spend 60% of their working time in the office. Our offices provide opportunity for interaction, collaboration which aids learning and development and a sense of community. Where the role allows it, and where the home environment is suitable, colleagues can work from home for up to 2 days a week, averaged over a calendar month (or a proportionate amount of time for colleagues who work less than full time).
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 unitybusinessservicesrecruitmentresults@hmrc.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Technical Support
If you are experiencing problems that cannot be resolved by our ' help ' section, then technical support is available. You will receive a reply in 2 working days
Important information for existing HMRC contractual homeworkers:
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. 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.
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.
For more Information for people applying for, or thinking of applying for, roles at HM Revenue and Customs, please see link: Working for HMRC: information for applicants - GOV.UK .
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a standard (or equivalent) 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
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.
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 : Legal Resourcing Team
- Email : legalresourcingteam@hmrc.gov.uk
- Email : MB-GovQualified@tmpw.co.uk
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 . Please note that we do not accept complaints or appeals regarding scoring of outcomes of campaigns unless candidates can provide clear evidence that the campaign did not follow the Recruitment Principles. 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
Legal Lawyers 2026 Information Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 1246kB)
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