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About the job
Job summary
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is one of the largest Government Departments and one of the countrys biggest organisations. Almost every individual and business in the UK is a direct customer of HMRC. We collect more than £500 billion a year in revenue from over 50 million customers across the UK.
We are an effective, efficient and impartial tax and payments authority with a vital purpose: To collect the money that pays for the UKs public services and help families and individuals with targeted financial support.
We have embarked on a major transformational Programme to redirect more of our people and resources to compliance activities, modernising systems and re-engineering processes to become more customer focused.
About Customer Compliance Group (CCG), MSB & Indirect Tax Avoidance and Partial Exemption (iTAPE):
HMRCs Customer Compliance Group (CCG) is larger than most government department with c.25,000 colleagues in locations across the UK. It is at the heart of our transformation and is responsible for delivering the departments high-profile and reputation-critical compliance activities. CCG has unparalleled scale, breadth and impact within HMRC and is also involved in critical cross-Government initiatives and priorities.
Tax evasion and avoidance, fraud and organised crime are among HMRCs most high-profile issues. They require both internal and external engagement along with proactive management of the with their operations and policies. CCG is also responsible for HMRC-wide and cross-Government initiatives, requiring co-operation, influence and engagement beyond the department.
Mid-sized Business (MSB) delivers HMRCs compliance work for businesses with an annual UK turnover of £10M to £200M and/or with 20+ employees. There are approximately 170,000 Mid-sized businesses in the UK.
We work with our customer base to improve compliance, tackle avoidance and evasion, whilst offering support to growing businesses.
Through tailored customer engagement and risk-driven compliance, we address complex tax issues using tax specialist teams. We use data and customer insight to target support to rapidly growing businesses.
Indirect Tax Avoidance and Partial Exemption (iTAPE) is a national unit headed by an Assistant Director, with 4 geographical business units each headed by a Regional Lead.
See what its like to work at HMRC: find out more about us or ask our colleagues a question. Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.
Job description
Our teams provide consultancy, project leadership and technical advice on indirect tax avoidance, project-managed complex issues, and partial exemption casework across all HMRC business streams. The work consists of single cases and projects, and teams work across geographical boundaries. iTAPE also leads for HMRC on Indirect Tax Avoidance, working closely with Counter-Avoidance directorate.
The PE community seeks to work across boundaries to best allocate resource to risk. We are looking for 2 Partial Exemption Sector Leads (PESLs) in iTAPE
Successful candidates are likely to specialise in one or more of the 9 PE Sectors where they will be expected to co-lead HMRC response to the PE and business/ non-business (BNB). risks in the sector. However, the role is likely to also involve leading on other cross sector and directorate PE projects.
Successful candidates are expected to collaborate with indirect Tax Directorate, and provide guidance and direction to staff in Large Business, Mid-sized Business including iTAPE, Public Bodies and other stakeholders to reduce the VAT Gap attributable to errors and misuse of the PE regime and associated issues including business/non-business (BNB).
The successful candidate will also be encouraged to develop their VAT knowledge and leadership/management skills through appropriate learning programmes.
With clear leadership you will engage with a wide range of colleagues at all grades, using your strong communication skills to establish facts and gather evidence and conduct compliance interventions. Along with a deep understanding of the tax affairs of your customer base and utilising your tax professional knowledge to identify risks, you will promote good compliance, and both prevent and respond to non-compliance.
Please Note: The role may involve an element of travelling with a possibility of the occasional overnight stay away from home.
Person specification
Key Responsibilities and Skills Required:
As a Partial Exemption Specialist, you will play a role in the way we operate across the whole business area. You will do this by:
- Profiling and prioritising PE and BNB risks in their sector and liaise with key stakeholders e.g. Product and Process Owners, Senior Responsible Officer for risk themes, Customer Relationship Managers (CRMs), tax specialists, and other staff to ensure a coordinated approach.
- Challenging and driving forward key PE and BNB issues in the sector, including leading issues through the range of dispute resolution and litigation procedures which may be appropriate, working closely with Indirect Tax Product and Process Owner colleagues, Solicitors Office and Legal Services, and avoidance colleagues when required.
- Leading on building PE and BNB knowledge and capability in their sector across HMRC.
- Contributing to upstream compliance work as part of the developing HMRC Compliance Strategy, understanding the scope of digital tools, and taking a lead in scoping risk areas in their sector in collaboration with operational teams.
- Collaboration with Indirect Tax Product and Process Owner colleagues and engage with external stakeholders to promote compliance and identify opportunities for improvements to processes and guidance.
- Making considered, fully evidence-based decisions about the use of PE legal powers, working with Deductions & Financial Services, and play a major role in defending those decisions in Tribunal if required.
- Project manage significant sector casework to tight timetables, adapting for additional issues that arise during the process.
Essential Criteria:
You are required to demonstrate experience of the following within your application:
- Evidence of working collaboratively with different stakeholders on strategic and technical issues across team and other boundaries.
- Be able to take a major role in resolving complex VAT issues, while considering the wider impact of decisions.
- Experience of supporting capability build by identifying knowledge gaps and taking steps to increase technical knowledge of self and others.
- Excellent stakeholder engagement, communication and influencing skills.
- Self-motivated and highly organised, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and deliver to tight timelines with minimal direction.
- Applicants are required to be fully VAT trained, having completed one of the Departments recognised internal VAT training programmes; (VAT Foundation, Basic VAT Training, Routeway, BDDP or equivalent), OR have proven experience of working in VAT as an advisor or in-house VAT specialist.
- You must have up-to-date knowledge of VAT legislation, and Partial Exemption or business/non-business issues.
Qualifications
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
Technical skills
We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Tax Competency: Application of Tax Knowledge Level 3
- 1 Interprets complex legislation & holds persuasive arguments/discussions on relevant points of detail with accountants, solicitors, counsel and senior HMRC staff
- 2 Identifies loopholes in legislation/policy & recommends solutions
- 3 Applies tax knowledge to identify and evaluate undisclosed avoidance, tax evasion and fraudulent behaviour
- 4 Applies understanding of the big picture rationale behind different taxes and their interrelationships
- 5 Carries credibility with specialists, lawyers and others involved in negotiation/dispute resolution/litigation 6 Instructs solicitors in litigation and assists in preparation of cases and adds value in discussions with key stakeholders including Counsel
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
Find more about HMRC benefits in ‘Your little extras and big benefits handbook’ for further information or visit Thinking of joining the Civil Service.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
As part of the application process you will asked to provide:
- A copy of your CV detailing your job history, qualifications, and experience.
- A Personal Statement (a maximum of 750 words), which will illustrate why you think you meet the essential criteria, knowledge and experience for this role. Using the STAR process will help achieve a structured document.
A sift of your CV and Personal Statement will be conducted against the job description, key responsibilities and essential criteria.
The CV section will consist of 2 elements;
Job History
Providing details of your relevant career to date. For each job please describe the role and state your key achievements in no more than 100 words must ensure that it demonstrates the essential criteria, requiring experience of working in a VAT role.
Qualifications
Include any VAT training/relevant qualifications you have which demonstrate that you meet the essential criteria.
Please Note: Should you fail to meet the VAT trained requirement you will be excluded from the SIFT.
We reserve the right to raise the score required at any stage of the process in order to manage numbers.
Interview Process Details
During the panel interview, you will be asked behaviour-based questions to explore in detail what you are capable of.
You will be asked to deliver a technical presentation about an issue you have actively been involved with, which will test the Tax Competency: Application of Tax Knowledge Level 3 – Search Tax Competency Frameworks for more information.
interviews will be held via MS Teams.
Interview dates to be confirmed.
A reserve list may be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles if this applies to you, well let you know via your Civil Service Jobs account.
We reserve the right to raise the score required at any stage of the process in order to manage numbers.
Eligibility
To check that you are eligible to apply, review this eligibility information
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, so please review the advertised office locations for this role when applying and only select locations from the location preferences section that you are able to travel to.
Reasonable Adjustments
We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process because of a disability, condition, or impairment. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.
If you need a reasonable adjustment or a change to be made so that you can make your application, review this information on reasonable adjustments, and contact hmrcrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible.
Diversity and Inclusion
At HMRC we are committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues and creating an inclusive and respectful environment that reflects the diversity of the society we serve.
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. Were committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues here at HMRC. We want everyone to feel valued and supported to achieve their potential at HMRC.
For more information on how we make this happen, review this information on our culture and values
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.
We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible after considering operational and customer service needs. We cant guarantee that we can meet all requests to work flexibly, as agreement will be subject to business ability to accommodate, and any request to work a more flexible arrangement should be made prior to your acceptance of the provisional offer.
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.
The Civil Service runs 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.
Locations
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.
Security Update
For more information on the level of security checks we will carry out, review this information on security checks
Further Information
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.
Duplicate applications for the same vacancy will also be withdrawn.
Transferring into HMRC from Civil Service 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
Problems during the application process
If you experience accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.
If you think youve made a mistake on a short application form (e.g. youve ticked the incorrect eligibility box), please contact hmrcrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk at least two working days before the vacancy closes. After this, we wont be able to reopen your application.
Please use the subject line to insert appropriate wording e.g. Please re-open my application – 313184 & vacancy closing date 04/10/23. Please note that we cannot amend or re-open your application if you have submitted your full application in the interests of fair and open recruitment.
For reasonable adjustments queries or requests, please see details within reasonable adjustments section above.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
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).
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Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Jimmy Smith
- Email : jimmy.smith@hmrc.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : hmrcrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
