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At HMRC, we are committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues, an inclusive and respectful environment that reflects the diversity of the society we serve. We want to maximize the potential of everyone who chooses to work for us, and we offer a range of flexible working patterns and support to make a fulfilling career at HMRC accessible to you. Diverse perspectives and experiences are critical to our succes,s and we welcome applications from all people from all backgrounds with the experience and skills needed to perform this role.

About SOLS:

Sols provides legal services for the whole of HMRC. These vacancies are for Review Officers in SOLS, which are part of National Reviews, Mincom and Corporate Services. Review teams are responsible for reviewing appealable decisions made by HMRC, as requested by customers under legislative provisions. Reviews are a vital area of work that helps ensure only appropriate disputes escalate to appeal and litigation. You do not need to have any knowledge or experience of Tax to apply, but you will have an interest in a fair and just tax system within an organisation that collects the tax that pays for all of the UK’s vital public services. Your analytical skills, coupled with strong verbal and written communication abilities, will be instrumental in conducting thorough reviews of evidence and presenting findings effectively.

Job description

Across the Solicitor's Office and Legal Services (SOLS), we provide legal services to the whole of HMRC. This includes:

• The conduct of independent reviews of decisions made by HMRC which are requested by customers under the legislative provisions.
• The tribunal and civil litigation are conducted in a full range of services.
• Work on new legislation.
• Drafting of statutory instruments and other legal documents.
• Legal advice to ExCom and staff.

We also provide technical accountancy and forensic services to HMRC, are head of the Compliance Accountants’ and Insolvency Professions as well as handling Ministerial Correspondence and Freedom of Information requests for HMRC.

Review teams cover a range of Direct & Indirect Taxes, including Self-assessment/Corporation Tax/VAT & Customs duties. Work is both high volume and high paced and the post holder will be required to drive forward improvements in the quality of reviews by working collaboratively with a range of key stakeholders both within and outside SOLS.

This is a Tax Professional role, and successful applicants will need to complete a structured learning Tax Routeway course and the SOLS Quality Assessment Framework (QAF) levels 1 and 2 for the post to be substantive. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Reviewing appealable decisions to ensure they are legally and technically correct and in accordance with HMRC Policy
• Understand the legal framework, research the applicable legislation and policies and review data to inform decision-making.
• Preparing clear recommendations setting out points of issue
• Liaising with customers by phone and written communication to ensure a clear understanding of their arguments before reaching a conclusion.
• Preparation of comprehensive letters to a high standard setting out all relevant legislation and review conclusions
• Liaising with key stakeholders to ensure decisions are defended in accordance with HMRC policy and tax law. Addressing all relevant arguments, evidence and case law (Identifying what statute and case law is applicable)
• Manage relationships and engage with colleagues and internal stakeholders to develop a productive working relationship.
• Accurate and timely maintenance of cases and adherence to GDPR.
• Working closely with colleagues and management locally and nationally to meet performance standards and key targets and help improve our processes.
• Manage individual caseloads to meet statutory deadlines.
• Review Officers will be expected to develop a high level of knowledge, skills and understanding. You will work as part of an
• integrated customer-facing team but may also be asked to support colleagues in other parts of SOLS and the wider HMRC.

Person specification

Training Successful candidates will need to complete QAF Levels 1 & 2 in conjunction with the SOLS Routeway to be confirmed as established Review Officers. This is a demanding but rewarding learning programme that will provide you with the essential knowledge, skills and experience to be an effective review officer.

Working Arrangements during training This is a demanding training programme and, to provide the best possible opportunity for you to succeed, working arrangements are fixed for certain stages as below:

• Trainees must complete the first 2 weeks of training, so annual leave will not normally be allowed in that time.
• Learning activities are scheduled throughout your training journey and are fixed, and trainees must attend.
• We expect trainees to commit to completing the programme, so we will not normally authorise applications for alternative internal posts during training.
• The duration of your learning programme will be between 12 months to 18 months.
• Trainees will be provided with the knowledge, skills, and support throughout the training to enable them to meet the required standard within 18 months.
• We will help you reach the required standard of the training programme; however, should you fail to reach that standard, we will use existing standard policies to manage poor performance. 

HMRC welcomes applications from those who need to work in a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, taking into account our operational and customer service needs. We can’t guarantee that we can meet all requests to work flexibly, as the agreement will be subject to the business's ability to accommodate, and any request to work a more flexible arrangement should be made prior to your acceptance of the provisional offer. There may be a need to travel across the UK with occasional overnight stays being required, and there may be a need for occasional travel for business purposes.

This vacancy is only available at the specified locations; alternative locations are not available.

Your office location is contractual, so if you are successful, you are expected to attend that office location as required by the business.

You need to consider how you will meet this requirement before you apply and discuss any concerns with the vacancy holder before accepting any role.

Locations

There are up to 10 posts in Glasgow, up to 10 Posts in Birmingham, up to 10 Posts in Manchester, up to 10 posts in Leeds, up to 3 posts in Bristol, up to 10 in Washington.

Queries If you have any queries about the role or application process, please email solslegalopsrecruitment@hmrc.gov.uk

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Making Effective Decisions

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £36,320, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £10,521 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.

You will be expected to attend your nominated Regional Centre for at least 60% of your time, so for example, if you work full time, you will be expected to work in the office for 3 days per week.

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

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

How to Apply

To help you prepare, below is a rundown of what to expect during the selection process:

• Application form including 250-word written behaviour Making Effective Decisions
• Civil Service Numerical Test, Civil Service Verbal Test, and Civil Service Work Strengths Test
• Pre-recorded video interview
• Virtual In-tray exercise

Further details about what this will entail are listed on the application form.

We acknowledge that AI can assist you in your application. Find our guidelines here.

Sift

If you successfully pass the test, your written behaviour on Making Effective Decisions will be scored, and successful candidates who meet the required standard will later be invited to complete a video interview. Details regarding the interview will be sent to candidates who pass their tests on a date to be confirmed once this advert has closed. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The test is administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

We may also raise the score required at any stage of the process if we receive a high number of applications.

Interview

If you are invited to an interview, it will be a video interview based on Civil Service Behaviours and Strengths. We will send you full instructions on how to access it, what ID you’ll need to show us, and what it involves. Please read through these carefully; it will help you be fully prepared.

Civil Service Behaviours:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing

Civil Service Strengths

This is an example of a strengths-based question:

• “It is often said that the customer's needs should come first. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?”
• There is no expectation or requirement for you to prepare for the strengths-based questions in advance of the interview, though you may find it helpful to spend some time reflecting on what you enjoy doing and what you do well.
• Please note that you must pass both the interview and the In-tray exercise to meet the criteria for this post.

After you receive your interview invite, you’ll have 7 days to complete and submit the interview. If you won't be able to do this in time, please contact us with your reasons before the deadline at unitybusinessservicesrecruitmentresults@hmrc.gov.uk quoting vacancy number 382260. Unfortunately, if you don't contact us in time, your application will be withdrawn. If a high number of applications are received, we may implement an interview approach whereby if you fail to achieve the minimum standard on any of the questions, the assessors will not mark the remainder of the interview. If your responses consistently demonstrate the required level in these areas, we will continue with a full evaluation. If you successfully pass your interview, you will then be invited to complete a virtual In-tray exercise. Details regarding the In-tray exercise will be sent to candidates who pass their interview.

Interviews will take place via video link. 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. 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 – 382260 & vacancy closing date 23rd December 2024.

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, after 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 the interview, merit lists will be created for each location advertised within the vacancy. If you are successful at the interview, you will be placed on the merit list for any locations in which you have expressed an interest. 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.

Important information for existing HMRC contractual homeworkers

This role may be suitable for existing HMRC employees who are contractual homeworkers. Occasional attendance at 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 accurately 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 an 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 the 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 dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against the government.

New entrants will join at the minimum pay band.

If you experience accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

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 attracting, retaining and investing 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: SOLS Recruitment
• Email: solslegalopsrecruitment@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. 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.

Attachments

Combined TC and OGD Pay English - July 2024Opens in new window(pdf, 254kB)