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Direct Tax Specialist

Direct Tax Specialist

    • Birmingham
    • Cardiff
    • Leeds
    • Newcastle-upon-Tyne
    • Nottingham
    • Portsmouth
    • Salford

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    • Flexible working
    • Full-time
    • Job share
    • Part-time

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    • Closing on: Jan 23 2026
    • £58,541 - £64,624
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        As a Direct Tax Specialist, you will be working on highly sophisticated and sensitive tax affairs across a range of dynamic customer sectors, and with a range of internal and external stakeholders. This specialist role provides an excellent opportunity for you to leverage your substantial knowledge of Direct Tax issues, conducting investigations and providing expert advice to colleagues.

        To be successful in this role, you must possess substantial and demonstrable knowledge of Direct Tax compliance, either in Income Tax or Corporation Tax. You will be expected to identify and address risk across multiple heads of duty in some of our investigatory roles. If you are a driven professional with a proven track record in compliance, we invite you to join our team and make a meaningful impact on the UK's tax landscape. Apply now and be part of an organisation that values integrity, professionalism, and a commitment to public service. At HMRC, we are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives are valued and celebrated. We actively encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, as we believe that a diverse workforce is key to delivering exceptional service to the public.

        Candidate information session will be held 12.30pm Wednesday 14th January - Link to register -

        https://forms.office.com/e/2dYj7T3vUT

        Person specification

        We have roles in both National & Technical Compliance (N&TC) and Campaigns & Projects (C&P).

        N&TC:
        The focus of your work will be on direct tax risk, tackling tax evasion and non-compliance in the largest and most complex cases in the small business and individual population, including Companies (mainly owner managed businesses, therefore working companies and directors as part of linked compliance checks), Partnerships, and Sole Traders.

        You will conduct investigations into taxpayers' records. This will involve you carrying out an analysis of these records to check for any evidence of non-compliance. If any irregularities are found as a result of your investigations, you will be expected to address these with the taxpayer in line with tax legislation and educate the taxpayer where applicable. You will also act as an escalation point to resolve technical queries from more junior compliance caseworkers. For some cases, you will work as part of a team of people who are trained in different tax regimes and who work together to ensure that all the risks in a case are thoroughly tested.

        The investigations you will undertake could be desk based and/or require you to carry out face to face meetings with the taxpayer at HMRC offices or visiting taxpayers' premises at a wide range of locations.

        C&P:
        You will be at the heart of HMRC's overall response to risk, providing technical and specialist support across a number of projects.

        C&P is the fastest growing compliance area within HMRC, by joining us you are choosing to be at the forefront of compliance work. There are currently 3000 people working in C&P, the majority of whom are Tax Professionals, at Band O and above. What makes us different from other areas of compliance in HMRC, is our streamlined approach to compliance work, delivered in a dynamic, challenging and fast-moving environment.

        The Tax Specialist Team within C&P is a small team of G7 tax professionals, providing technical guidance across all of C&P's projects, working through complex issues with stakeholders across HMRC to find workable solutions to technical, process and policy issues.

        As part of the Wider Leadership team, the successful candidate will be working in a highly visible, complex, challenging and exciting fast paced environment with senior stakeholders.

        As part of the Tax Specialist team, resilience will be key to the role. You will be able to adapt to business priorities to effectively support caseworkers within C&P's unique operating model.

        You will be able to identify technical risks that impact across the wider business, providing mitigating actions as required. You will be able to analyse different data sources to create robust recommendations to support technical principles and build individual capability.

        Essential Criteria:
        • You must hold one of the Qualifications listed below.

        Substantial and demonstrable knowledge of Direct Tax compliance principles and regulations.
        Recent demonstrable compliance experience working on the most complex Direct Tax issues.
        Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify and address complex Direct Tax issues.
        Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively convey technical information to diverse audiences.
        Proven ability to work collaboratively in a team environment and build positive working relationships.
        Commitment to continuous professional development and staying up to date with industry trends and best practices.

        Additional Location information - 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:
        • Benton Park View, Newcastle - moving to Pilgrims Quarter, Newcastle.
        • Trinity Bridge House, Salford - moving to an alternative office in Manchester / Salford.
        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.

        Qualifications
        You MUST hold one or more of the following:
        • Chartered Tax Adviser - CIOT
        • AIIT (including Paper 4*)
        • A Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies (CCAB) membership qualification including:
        • Institute of Chartered Accountants of England & Wales (ICAEW)
        • Institute of Chartered Accountants in Scotland (ICAS)
        • Institute of Chartered Accountants Ireland (ICAI)
        • Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
        • Post Graduate full legal qualification - in taxation matters
        • For previous or existing HMRC employees TSP or predecessor qualification (TPDP,IDP, ITS2, CPT FT2) - (note - existing HMRC employees would only be eligible if they have completed the appropriate course to get them to G7 level (or above) in a tax professional role.)

        Behaviours

        We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
        • Making Effective Decisions
        • Delivering at Pace
        • Communicating and Influencing
        Technical skills

        We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
        • Experience in conducting compliance audits or reviews.
        • Direct Tax knowledge.
        • Knowledge of other tax regimes and their interactions with Direct Tax.
        • Familiarity with data analysis tools and techniques.
        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

        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, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

        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, previous skills/experiences and your qualifications.
        • A 500-word Personal Statement, describing how your skills and experience would make you suitable for the role, referring to the Person Specification and how you meet the Essential Criteria.
        Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

        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.

        Sift

        In the event of a large number of applications being received, an initial sift may be held on your CV.

        At full sift your CV and Personal Statement 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 Behaviour-based questions on those listed above, and Strength-based questions to explore what you enjoy and your motivations relevant to the role.

        You will also be asked to prepare and deliver a Presentation to assess the Technical Skills included in the advert. Further information will be provided in advance should you reach this stage.

        Interviews will take place via video link (Microsoft Teams).

        Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

        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:

        Please note that this role is unsuitable for contractual homeworkers due to the nature and/or requirements of the role.

        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 : Hari Lehal
        • Email : Hari.lehal@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.

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