About the job

Job summary

We are looking for a qualified Tax Specialist with strong international tax experience gained and consolidated in either practice or industry. Someone who will bring commercial knowledge and an understanding of how businesses operate and how international tax laws apply to complex transactions. Someone who would relish being part of a team where flexible working is the norm.

We need a Senior International Tax Specialist to join our compliance team. This role will be based in our Large Business (LB) Directorate which forms part of HMRC’s Customer Compliance Group and is responsible for around 2,000 of the UK’s largest businesses.

We use our technical and commercial knowledge in a range of interesting and exciting work - work that has real impacts on Government tax policy decisions, makes a difference to the nation’s finances and touches the lives of many in the UK. LB pride ourselves on undertaking Continued Personal Development and share best practice both within the team and with customers. This role will be of particular interest to candidates who have gained commercial and technical knowledge and experience in large corporates.

You may already be working on international issues with HMRC either internally or as part of your current remit, but we’d love to hear from international tax professionals from all backgrounds. For external candidates, examples of such work might include:

• Advising on, design and/or implementation of group transfer pricing policies.
• Preparation of transfer pricing documentation.
• Assisting clients in preparing reports for the Profit Diversion Compliance Facilities (PDCF).
• Assisting clients with HMRC enquiries or disclosures.
• Preparation of detailed functional analyses across a range of industries/sectors and conducting functional analysis interviews.
• Preparation and presentation of APA reports and dealing with bilateral. multilateral engagement with competent authorities.

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

The size and global reach of our customers places international tax issues at the forefront of our work to ensure they comply fully with their tax obligations. This is a varied and exciting role where we can genuinely say that no two days will be the same and you’ll have the opportunity to work with large and complex multi-national businesses with a UK presence.

As one of 7 Senior International Tax Specialists you will be working alongside other Corporation and International Tax specialists on the most complex high-profile risk assessments and enquiry work, providing technical leadership to the wider team, additionally this role will give you the opportunity to be integral in the development of your international tax specialist colleagues.

You will play a key role in strengthening HMRC’s efforts to close the tax gap through application of your international tax expertise. This includes meeting and engaging with customers and their advisors, working with other HMRC specialists (policy, economists, solicitors) to obtain and analyse relevant customer facts, applying the appropriate legislative frameworks and Transfer Pricing Guidelines, to form a view and assess the tax treatment of international transactions for tax purposes.

International Tax and Transfer Pricing is a rewarding and exciting area to work in. It as a constantly changing environment and you will be expected to keep up to date and understand those developments and apply them to your work as appropriate.  

Key Responsibilities include

• Leading and supporting on some of the most ambitious, technical and high-profile enquiry cases into some of the UK’s largest multinational groups.
• Undertaking activity consisting of risk assessment, enquiry work, real-time working, and working alongside HMRC competent authority teams towards agreeing APAs and ATCAs.
• Involvement and interaction with external customers and their representatives across a range of industries.
• Working as part of a team with a number of key colleagues across the organisation including Customer Compliance Managers, cross-tax regime technical specialists, policy, economists and accountants.
• Successful applicants will be responsible for technical leadership through the development and steerage of International Tax Specialists (ITSs) and Corporation Tax Specialists (CTSs); focusing on building their capabilities through mentoring, training, and knowledge sharing.
• You will communicate HMRC’s views on the tax treatment of transactions to our customers through correspondence, professional reports, meetings, and case conferences.
• You will have opportunities to influence policy, implement the international strategy, develop innovative solutions and build the Large Business international community.
• Some travel nationally will be required as part of this role and candidates may also be required to demonstrate experience in working Transfer Pricing issues in respect of multinationals.

Person specification

You should hold one of the following qualifications (alternative qualifications will be considered on their merits): 

• Chartered Institute of Tax (CTA) or Management Accountants (CIMA).
• Advanced Diploma in International Tax (ADIT).
• HMRC’s TSP or predecessor qualification (TPDP, ITS2, CPT, FT2).
• Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies membership qualification (such as ICAEW, ICAS, CAI, ACCA, CIPFA) or overseas equivalent.
• Postgraduate legal qualification with a significant element of taxation.

Essential Criteria

• Significant experience of Transfer Pricing of multinational enterprises gained in HMRC, practice or industry.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of other international corporation tax risks, such as Income Tax deduction at source and Double Tax Treaties.

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

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

How to Apply

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete an anonymised CV, a 750-word Personal Statement and a separate 250 word statement addressing the Desirable criteria. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Your CV will be tailored to the role advertised, detailing your job history, and including for each role (maximum 100 words per role): 

• A brief summary of your role, including dates.
• Skills and experience gained.
• Key achievements.

When giving details in your CV, you should be explicit in highlighting your experience to address all of the Essential Criteria and Person Specification requirements listed in the advert. You should therefore include details of the work you have been involved in, and the roles you played.

Your Personal Statement should be used to describe in no more than 750 words, why you consider yourself suitable for the role and how your skills and experience demonstrate that suitability, with reference to the Job Summary, Job Description and Essential Criteria. Please include examples of what you have done and how you did that. 

Desirable criteria will not be sifted on but may be used in the event of a tie-break.

Important information

Personal details that could be used to identify you including your name, contact details and address must be removed.

Sift

The CV and Personal Statement will be assessed against the criteria described above, with the successful candidates being invited to interview.

Interview

During the panel interview, you will be asked experience and technical based questions (how you meet the Essential Criteria) which will demonstrate the things you do well and/or are motivated by.

Technical

The interview will include a technical exercise and will explore your experience in International Tax work. Details of the technical exercise will be given at the interview, where you will have time to prepare/present your answer.

If interviews are required, they will be conducted over Teams.

We reserve the right to raise the score required at any stage of the process in order to manage numbers.

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.

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.

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 - 338014 & vacancy closing date 15/02/2024. 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

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.