Senior VAT Legal Interpretation Tax Specialist

This is a high-profile Grade 7 LI VAT Specialist role within HMRC and is a chance for you to add value to LB's strategy to tackle VAT legal interpretation.

The role requires strategic and commercial thinking, and technical capability to help influence and develop compliance approaches to address areas of LI VAT risk. We are looking for dynamic individuals to lead areas of risk and to work collaboratively with CCMs, Tax Specialists, and stakeholders across LB to drive down VAT LI risk.

You will provide technical leadership and support to colleagues regionally, nationally, and at customer level. Highly confident and credible, you'll share your knowledge, expertise, experience, and skills gained in a senior VAT professional environment with senior stakeholders across HMRC.

Successful candidates will also be encouraged to develop their VAT knowledge and leadership skills through relevant and appropriate learning opportunities within HMRC.

Candidate Information Session

We are holding information sessions about this role on Tuesday 11th November 2025 at 1pm. To register, please visit: Candidate Information Session - Senior Legal Interpretation VAT Specialist - 11/11/25 @1pm

Person specification

Core responsibilities include:

Leading teams to address key VAT LI risks and driving forward other technical VAT risks identified by LB CCMs, National and Regional VAT Regime Leads, and Strand Leads.

Play a significant role in the development and delivery of VAT compliance strategies with a focus on innovation and continuous improvement.

Build and maintain effective collaborative relationships with senior stakeholders across Customer Compliance Group (CCG) and other HMRC Directorates.

Work closely with CCG colleagues to ensure alignment between HMRC risk strategies in terms of risk prioritisation, governance and reporting, and to provide technical leadership.

Positively interact and influence behaviours internally and externally, to identify LI VAT risks and develop appropriate responses.

Set clear direction and communicating in an honest, confident, and consistent way to build trust both internally and externally.

Carefully manage complex, sensitive, and potentially challenging reputational issues.

The ability to prioritise and deliver high quality work. Being able to consider all options, make sound decisions in uncertain circumstances and be accountable for them.

Positively leading change, being flexible and able to move to, or lead on, new work or projects at short notice. Leading colleagues through the reasons for, and effects of, change, providing support and clarity where needed.

Occasional travel and overnight stays will be required with this role.

Essential Criteria:

All applicants are expected to clearly demonstrate their suitability against the essential criteria within both their application and any subsequent interview.

Substantial VAT-specific experience in a professional tax environment with demonstrated expertise in complex VAT legal interpretation, legislation analysis, and case law application

Proven track record of leading teams and providing technical leadership to colleagues at various levels, including experience managing sensitive or reputational issues requiring careful stakeholder management

Strong capability in identifying, assessing, and managing complex VAT risks whilst developing and implementing innovative compliance strategies with measurable outcomes and continuous improvement focus

Demonstrated ability to build and maintain collaborative relationships with senior stakeholders, influence decision-making, and communicate complex technical VAT matters clearly to diverse audiences both internally and externally

Strategic and commercial thinking capabilities with proven ability to work effectively under pressure, manage multiple competing priorities, and make sound decisions in uncertain circumstances regarding tax interpretation matters

All applicants must confirm in their application that they hold one of the following recognised professional qualifications:

• Chartered Tax Adviser - CIOT.
• AIIT (including Paper 4*) or a Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies membership qualification e.g. Institute of Chartered Accountants of England & Wales (ICAEW), Institute of Chartered Accountants in Scotland (ICAS) Institute of Chartered Accountants Ireland (ICAI).
• Chartered Institute of Public Finance Accountancy (CIPFA).
• Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).
• Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
• Holders of an Advanced Diploma in International Taxation (ADIT).
• Post Graduate full legal qualification - in taxation matters.

For previous or existing HMRC employees, TSP or predecessor qualification (for example IDP or TPDP):

In October 2023, a decision was made that applicants for G7 Tax Professional roles must have successfully completed the Tax Specialist Programme or hold an equivalent qualification.

To enable career development for experienced colleagues already in Tax Professional roles, if you have been successful in gaining a G7 Tax Professional role through open competition prior to October 2023, and you are not subject to any Performance Management action, you are now able to apply on level transfer for other G7 Tax Professional roles.

Please note that if you applied for a non-tax professional role on promotion to Grade 7 prior to October 2023 but have tax experience, you would not be able to apply on level for tax professional roles."

Transitional Sites

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

If your location preference is for the following site, 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.

The site is:

• Benton Park View, Newcastle - moving to Pilgrims Quarter, Newcastle

You will be given more information about what this means at the job offer stage

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.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £58,541, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £16,959 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 hear from our insiders or visit Thinking of joining the Civil Service

Things you need to know

Selection process details

How to Apply

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

• A name-blind CV including your job history (Last 5 roles). For each job role included, please provide a brief description of the role, key responsibilities and key achievements (max 300 words per role).
  Please reference how you meet the essential criteria and display your qualifications.

Sift

At full sift your CV will be assessed, with the successful candidates being invited to interview.

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 asked questions with reference to the job specification and essential criteria, to assess your experience and explore in detail what you are capable of, and this is an opportunity to evidence your expertise.

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: unitybusinessservicesrecruitmentresults@hmrc.gov.uk - Use the subject line to insert appropriate wording for example - 'Please re-open my application - [insert vacancy ref] & vacancy closing date [insert date]'.

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

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.

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 for any locations you have expressed an interest for. Appointments from each merit list will be made in strict merit order.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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 : Matthew Powell
• Email : matthew.powell@hmrc.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : unitybusinessservicesrecruitmentresults@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. 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.