About the job

Job summary

Posts per Location: Belfast - 2, Bristol - 2, Cardiff - 2, Glasgow - 3, Leeds -1 and Washington - 2 

Discover a career in your hands at HMRC. Whether you're seeking purpose, growth, or a workplace that gives you a true sense of belonging, hear from some of our employees as they share their story about what it’s really like to work at HMRC.

   

Visit our YouTube channel to watch the full series and come and discover your potential.

Are you interested in litigating appeals, managing cases from start to finish?  

If so, continue reading to find out more about this fantastic opportunity to join HMRC. 
 
About SOLS
 
Across 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 conduct of tribunal and civil litigation on 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, our head of Compliance Accountants and Insolvency Professions, as well as handling Ministerial Correspondence and Freedom of Information requests for HMRC. 
 
The Team 

These vacancies are with HMRC SOLS Legal Operations and specifically within National Tax Litigation business stream. It is an exciting time to join our team which works a range of litigation appeals, mainly defending appeals on behalf of the wider department made by taxpayer customers in the Tax Tribunal. 

Job description

Successful candidates will be responsible for delivering casework, key responsibilities will vary depending on the post but will include some of the following:

• Make decisions about case progression.
• Independently drafting and serving notices and applications on the Tribunal.
• Independently draft and send case correspondence.
• Check, proof and serve witness statements.
• Prepare chronologies.
• Identify relevant documents and produce bundles.
• Presenting hearings on behalf of HMRC at Tribunal/Court.  
• Draft statement of case and other key documents.
• As a case-holder, manage or support all aspects of case management from commencement of proceedings through to hearing and conclusion, ensuring legal deadlines are strictly adhered to.
• Provide legal support to experienced senior colleagues on complex cases.
• Some administrative duties, and may include instructing counsel if necessary.

Person specification

Essential Criteria 

The successful candidate must have the following: 

• Good written and verbal communication skills.
  
  
• An ability to work under pressure and to changing demands and priorities. 
  
  
• A tax professional, OR a legal professional background, OR litigation experience (tax, non-tax and benefits and credits).
  
  A candidate with a tax professional background must have completed Foundation Tax training or equivalent, or already have passed a qualification in any HMRC regime e.g. Employer Compliance, Corporation Tax, Income Tax, VAT or Customs. Or have successfully completed the Quality Assessment Framework (QAF) and learning routeway to at least level 1 or have successfully completed the SOLS Practical Assessment Framework (PAF).
  
  A successful Legal Professional candidate should have a legal qualification, for example a law degree.
  
  A candidate with litigation experience will be able to demonstrate having operated in a litigation role including advocacy and/or the drafting and submission of key litigation documents, such as, Statement of case, Particulars of Claim, Skeleton Argument or similar activities. 

Other information

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, there is an expectation that you will 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.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,092, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £9,474 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

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.

SOLS use the Success Profiles framework for its recruitment. Your application will be assessed against the Experience elements of the framework.  The Behaviours and Strengths element of the framework will be tested at interview. 

How to Apply

During the application process you will be asked to submit a name blind CV, a 500 word Personal Statement (showing how you meet the requirements for the role) and a 250 word Behaviour statement.  
  
In your CV please include your Job History up to the past 5 years. Give a brief summary of what you delivered and any key achievements in each role (max 150 words per role). 
 
In your Personal Statement please explain why you are suitable for this role, referring to the Essential Criteria and Responsibilities.  

In your Behaviour statement you will be asked to describe a scenario where you have met the behaviour ‘Working Together’. 

Sift

A preliminary sift on the CV and Personal Statement will be conducted and only candidates meeting the criteria will progress. 

The Behaviour statement ‘Working Together’ will only be assessed at full sift. 

Candidates who are successful at the sift stage and progress to interview will be interviewed online. 

Interview

The interview process will include Behaviour and Strength-based questions. 

Behaviours - Candidates will be asked to explain when they have displayed the following behaviours as outlined in the Civil Service Success Profiles 

• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making an Effective Decision

Strengths - The Strength-based questions look at a combination of what people are good at and what they enjoy doing. They focus on specific areas which motivate, naturally enthuse, and excite candidates. The best way to prepare is to reflect on what you feel your personal strengths are and your preferred way of working. It’s important to remember that there are no right or wrong answers to these questions. The panel will be looking for your unrehearsed initial response. You will not be notified of the strengths being tested before your interview. 

Interviews will be held via video.

Sift and Interview dates to be confirmed. 

Start dates may not be agreed straight away but this will be discussed further with successful candidates. 

Further Information

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 maximise 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 success and we welcome applications from all people from all backgrounds with the experience and skills needed to perform this role.  

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.

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.

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 Excellence Team via ubsrecruitmentexcellence@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.

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 and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

Diverse perspectives and experiences are critical to our success at HMRC, 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, and we want everyone to feel valued and supported to achieve their potential.

Click here for more information on how we make this happen.

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. 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 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.

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.