Skip to main contentComplex VAT Specialist/ Indirect Tax Manager
HM Revenue and Customs
Apply before 11:55 pm on Wednesday 27th September 2023
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About the job
Job summary
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is one of the largest Government Departments and one of the country’s biggest organisations. Almost every individual and business in the UK is a direct customer of HMRC. We collect in excess of £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 UK’s 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.
See what it’s 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
About Customer Compliance Group (CCG) and Indirect Tax Avoidance and Partial Exemption (iTAPE)
HMRC’s Customer Compliance Group (CCG) is larger than most government departments with c.25,000 colleagues in locations across the UK. It is at the heart of our transformation and is responsible for delivering the department’s 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 HMRC’s most high-profile issues. They require both internal and external engagement along with proactive management of them 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 HMRC’s 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.
The Indirect Tax Avoidance and Partial Exemption (iTAPE) 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.
About the Role
The Complex VAT Specialist (CVS) will lead national projects, formulating and developing robust legal challenges and applying innovative approaches and investigation techniques. Working collaboratively with key stakeholders across business streams the CVS will be proactive in developing handling strategies for avoidance and complex tax planning issues across the range of indirect taxes and duties.
The CVS will develop a high degree of technical skill and investigation experience, with strategic awareness of all tax regimes. The CVS will proactively manage and direct the resources within the project team and will work with stakeholders to ensure the agreed handling strategy is applied effectively. They will bear significant responsibility for the operational delivery of HMRC’s anti-avoidance strategy in relation to indirect tax.
Over time the CVS will be expected to become an acknowledged specialist in respect of a number of their Risk Themes, and to take a lead on building knowledge and capability in this area across HMRC. This will include 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 risks in their allocated Risk Themes working in collaboration with operational teams. The Theme Lead will also be expected to give presentations on their specialist subject areas to VAT technical staff in iTAPE, and other compliance areas.
CVSs will work with iTAPE Senior Officers and Higher Officers allocated to their projects as well as Indirect Tax Directorate, Large Business, Mid-sized Business, Public Bodies and other stakeholders to reduce the VAT Gap attributable to Indirect Tax Avoidance and Complex Tax Planning.
The successful candidate will also be encouraged to develop their VAT knowledge and leadership/management skills through appropriate learning programmes.
Please Note: The role may involve an element of travelling with a possibility of the occasional overnight stay away from home.
At HMRC, we are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable adjustments to participate in the job application or interview process.
Other Information: Security
Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.
People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.
Person specification
Key responsibilities
- Investigating and challenging complex tax planning and avoidance schemes, across the range of indirect taxes and duties, 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 and Solicitor’s Office and Legal Services.
- Project manage complex tax planning and avoidance issues working with Indirect Tax Directorate and operational colleagues across CCG to agree and develop handling strategies.
- Leading the formulation of legal arguments and challenges and proactively facilitating contributions from other key stakeholders.
- Collaboration with Indirect Tax Product and ‘Process Owner’ colleagues and engage with external stakeholders to promote compliance, influencing legislative and policy change and contributing to avoidance proofing of new legislation.
- 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 Risk Theme areas in collaboration with operational teams.
- Leading on building knowledge and capability of tax specialists in the identification and investigation of complex tax planning and avoidance schemes.
Essential Criteria: You are required to demonstrate experience of the following within your application:
- 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.
- 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.
- You must have up-to-date knowledge of VAT legislation.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Leadership
- Working Together
- Developing Self and Others
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Tax Competency Application of Tax Knowledge to Level 3
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 CV, to include experience of relevant work in no more than 100 words per role, making clear that you meet the 1st essential criteria
- A 750-word personal statement to include evidence that you meet the remaining essential criteria. Please include examples of what you have done and how you did it.
Selection will be by sift and (if required) interview.
An initial sift will score the CV on experience against the first essential criteria. Those not evidencing full VAT training will not progress to a full sift on the personal statement.
The personal statement will be scored using the experience success factor against the essential criteria.
We reserve the right to raise the score required at any stage of the process in order to manage numbers.
At the interview you will be asked to deliver a technical presentation lasting 10 minutes on a VAT issue you have been involved with to demonstrate Tax Competency Application of Tax Knowledge to Level 3:
You will also be tested on the following behaviours:-
Leadership, Working Together and Developing Self and others
Interviews will take place via video link.
Sift and 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, we’ll 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.
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, we’ll let you know via your Civil Service Jobs account.
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.
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. We’re 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 can’t 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.
All Criminal Record Checks applications are considered fairly in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice and the Recruitment of ex-offenders Policy.
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 you’ve made a mistake on a short application form (e.g. you’ve ticked the incorrect eligibility box), please contact hmrcrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk at least two working days before the vacancy closes. After this, we won’t be able to reopen your application.
Please use the subject line to insert appropriate wording e.g. Please re-open my application - 313170 & vacancy closing date 27/09/23. 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).
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Bryan O'Farrell
- Email : Bryan.ofarrell@hmrc.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : hmrcrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
