About the job

Job summary

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.

Can you lead and prioritise multiple tasks?

Do you have experience of using, analysing and interpreting complex information to make informed decisions?

Are you able to clearly explain complex information, adjusting your communication style for different audiences?

If the answer to all 3 is yes, have you thought of a career in HMRC’s Solicitor’s Office and Legal Services (SOLS)?

You do not need to have any knowledge or experience of Tax to apply, but you will have a curiosity about a fair and just tax system within an organisation that collects the tax that pays for all the UK’s vital public services.

We are looking for dynamic, enthusiastic individuals who have a passion for public service and an ambition to develop a productive and exciting career with us.

About SOLS:

SOLS provides legal services for the whole of HMRC. These vacancies are for Review Officers in Legal Operations which are part of SOLS.

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 help ensure only appropriate disputes escalate to appeal and litigation.

Job description

Information about the Role:

Working as part of a Review Team, you will play a key role within HMRC's appeals process. The work is both high volume and fast paced, with a key element of the role being examining appealable decisions to confirm they are in line with tax laws and policies. Drawing upon your knowledge and skills, you'll navigate legislation and analyse complex case details to produce well-reasoned recommendations. Using excellent interpersonal skills, you'll engage customers and partners, drafting comprehensive letters that clearly articulate review conclusions. Handling your own caseload, you'll work collaboratively to drive continuous improvement by making positive relationships across teams and leading new initiatives.

Review teams cover a range of Direct & Indirect Taxes including Self-Assessment, Corporation Tax, VAT and Customs duties.

The post holder will be required to drive forward improvements in the quality of reviews 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.

Person specification

Specific duties:

• 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, 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, key targets and help improve our processes.
• Manage individual caseload 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.

Benefits we offer include:

• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.

Essential Criteria:

• Experience of using, analysing and interpreting complex information to make informed decisions, presenting them in a clear persuasive manner.
• A track record of working well as part of a larger team, including the ability to positively engage, collaborate and influence a wide variety of stakeholders.
• Evidence of using time management and planning skills to manage multiple tasks within a portfolio of work with flexibility and minimal supervision to meet pre-set and tight deadlines.
• A talent and background in written and verbal communication, including the ability to adapt communications to specific target audiences.

There may be a need to travel across the UK with occasional overnight stays being required.

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, Experience and Technical skills.

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

How to Apply

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

• A CV detailing your job history, qualifications, and experience. We recommend that your CV includes the last 3 years of employment history, plus any other roles that you feel are relevant. A short narrative outlining what you delivered, your key achievements and its impact, will help you to demonstrate your experience more clearly.
• A 500-word Personal Statement this should provide working examples and outcomes that demonstrate how your experience aligns with the key responsibilities. Using the STAR format will help you to structure your examples.
• A 500-word statement on the essential criteria.
  

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

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 for you. If you do make a mistake, please contact us via: ubsrecruitmentexcellence@hmrc.gov.uk – Use the subject line to insert appropriate wording for example – ‘Please re-open my application – [insert vacancy ref] & vacancy closing date [insert date]’

To check that you are eligible to apply for this role, please review the eligibility information before submitting your application.

Sift

A preliminary sift on the Essential Criteria will be conducted and only candidates meeting the criteria will progress.

Those applications progressing to a full sift will be assessed on CV and Personal Statement which will be given a combined score.

Interview

If your application is shortlisted, you will be invited to a video interview with a panel of up to 3 people and will last up to 60 minutes, consisting of:

• Your Experience.
• A Technical exercise - You will be asked to deliver a 10-minute presentation, based on a specific scenario to be provided if you are invited to an interview.
• Behaviours – 1. Making Effective Decisions & 2. Communicating and Influencing.
• Strength based questions.

Full details will be provided to those candidates invited to interview.

Interview dates to be confirmed.

How we make an offer

This recruitment campaign was designed to ensure we have a sufficient number of people on our teams now and in the future. We are usually able to make some immediate postings following interview, however we may not be able to appoint all those who have been successful straight away.

Candidates who are successful at interview are placed on a reserve list in merit order, starting with those with the highest scores.
Reserve List

If you do well with your application but we have more successful candidates than vacancies, we may hold you on a reserve list for up to 12 months. When vacancies come up matching your skills and experience, you could be offered the post without having to complete a new application. Being on a reserve list does not guarantee you a post though, so please continue to apply for other roles that interest you.

After interview, a single merit list will be created, and appointments will be made in strict merit order until the set demand is filled in each location. If successful, you will be informed which locations are available when we reach your position on the merit list.

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.