Tax inspector Job Information | National Careers Service

The work

As a tax inspector, you would work for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and make sure that businesses follow tax laws and pay the correct amount of tax.

Your job would include:

• examining business accounts
• visiting businesses to interview board directors, lawyers and accountants
• investigating suspected fraud
• offering specialist advice about tax
• negotiating settlements
• representing HMRC at appeals tribunals
• considering and applying tax law to cases
• leading a team of caseworkers and administrative staff
• managing relationships between HMRC and customers.

Hours

In a full-time job you would work 37 hours a week, Monday to Friday, with possible overtime when tax deadlines are approaching. Part-time work may be available.

You would be office-based but would spend some time travelling to visit businesses. Formal business dress is expected.

Income

• Graduate Programme trainees start on £25,125 (£27,311 in London)
• Qualified tax inspectors earn from £44,000 a year.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Entry requirements

You can join HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) at various levels. To join directly as a trainee tax inspector through the HMRC's Tax Professional Development Programme, you will need one of the following:

• an honours degree of at least class 2:1 in any subject
• a professional accountancy qualification.

If you do not have a degree, you could join HMRC in an administrative role. With experience, you could then apply for a place on the Tax Professional Development Programme as an internal applicant.

You will typically need GCSEs (A-C) in maths and English to join as an administrative assistant, or five GCSEs (A-C) including maths and English for assistant officer. However, HRMC will often accept you without these qualifications if you pass a selection test.

You must be a UK national to work in a job where you are directly involved in a taxpayer's financial affairs (known as a 'reserved post').

Contact HMRC for more information on recruitment.

Training and development

You would be trained on the job and also attend formal in-house courses.

As a trainee tax inspector you would follow the Tax Professional Development Programme. It takes four years to qualify as a tax inspector through this programme, which includes on-the-job learning, formal training courses, self-study and exams.

Alternatively, you could follow the HMRC's Management Fast Track or programme, which prepares you for policy, advisory or strategic management work. Your first year would be similar to the Tax Professional Development Programme, but from the second year you would develop general management experience and gain a qualification from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).

Skills and knowledge

• good spoken and written communication skills
• the ability to investigate and analyse information
• decision making ability
• excellent mathematical skills
• computer literacy
• the ability to apply rules fairly
• a creative approach to problem solving
• drive and determination.

More information

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
www.hmrc.gov.uk

Civil Service Jobs Online
http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/jobs

No central telephone number for information, see website for contacts for individual departments

Careers in Operational Delivery - helps you to explore the different career pathways you would need to follow to get to specific job roles within Operational Delivery
http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/my-civil-service/networks/professional/operational-delivery/leading-opdel-profession.aspx

TaxWorking
www.taxworking.org

Opportunities

You could work at HM Revenue and Customs offices all over the UK. Jobs are advertised in the local press, in job centres and on the HMRC and Civil Service websites.

With experience, you can move through HMRC's promotion structure to more senior or specialist posts. Alternatively, you could choose to go into the private sector as a tax adviser, or become a self-employed tax consultant.