About the job

Job summary

Please refer to job description.

Job description

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.

Selection process:

Stage 1 - Sift

You will be expected to provide a statement of suitability of no more than 1000 words and an anonymised CV to evidence how your skills, experience and achievements demonstrate your suitability for this role against the essential criteria outlined on the job advert.

Stage 2 – Interview and Assessment/Technical Skills

If you are successful at sift, you will be be invited to attend a 2-hour combined assessment which will take place in-person in Hagley Road, Birmingham. 

The combined assessment will consist of 3 parts:

Part 1: a 1-hour tax evaluation written exercise.

Part 2: a 10-minute presentation, followed by discussion on some aspect of tax appeals. You will be given the presentation brief and topic in advance prior your interview.

Part 3: Behaviour and Strength based questions.

Please see below "Application form stage assessments" for more information. 

Ministry of Justice

HM Courts and Tribunal Services

Job Title: Senior Tax Specialist Tribunal Caseworker

Grade: SEO

Location: Birmingham, 54 Hagley Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B16 8PE

Appointment Term: Permanent

About us

HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is responsible for the administration of criminal, civil and family courts and tribunals in England and Wales. Our roles support our service users and colleagues, where people and businesses access potentially life-changing justice.  We’re looking for individuals who are committed to public service and want to make a difference in people’s lives in delivering justice. If you’re interested in developing a career with a real purpose, please apply.

About the role

The Senior Tax Specialist Tribunal Caseworker supports the effective administration of the First- tier Tribunal (Tax Chamber) by providing specialist knowledge of tax compliance and appeals regimes, undertaking a range of complex casework and assessment activity to advance Tribunal appeals based on the holder’s knowledge of tax compliance work and the Tribunal’s protocols.

You’ll be working closely with judiciary, the tribunal’s registrar and other members of the tax tribunal caseworker team, as well as the tribunal’s administration teams, you’ll undertake a range of case management work in line with delegated judicial functions. You’ll be part of the Legal Operations structure but will work to directions from the registrar and the tribunal’s judiciary.

You’ll carry out proactive management of appeals and support other team members, the registrar, judiciary and the administration team by identifying any barriers or risks to effective case progression in general and on particular appeals and developing interventions or actions to resolve these, liaising with a range of key stakeholders and the public. This will involve communicating effectively with a wide range of appellants, and respondents, many of whom are unrepresented but others may be represented by friends or family through to Kings Counsel.

You’ll undertake tax appeal casework that is of a more complex or high-profile nature which will require effective decision making on the management of complex and grouped appeals, specialist applications, disputed applications, jurisdictional issues and dealing with non-compliance of the parties within delegated authority. You’ll also be expected to provide, or devise, specialist training for other team members and to align their activities to contribute to wider organisational priorities.

The role does not involve line management responsibility for staff.
 
What are we looking for?

We are looking for candidates who can demonstrate knowledge or experience of the appeals regimes in direct or indirect taxes (or ideally both), this could be as an accountant or tax adviser, a lawyer, other advisor (such as Citizens Advice Bureau or Tax Aid) or officer assisting or acting for a party to an appeal or other relevant experience of the tax appeals regimes or functioning of the Tax Tribunal.

The post holder will need to have an understanding of, and remain alert to, emerging issues and trends which might impact upon the Tribunal and the numbers or types of appeals and be able to develop, implement, maintain and review systems and services to ensure delivery of professional excellence.

You will be expected to demonstrate your understanding of the tax appeal system, developed through your track-record of working in a tax related area in your current or a previous role.

You will need to provide evidence of the below essential criteria at both sift and interview stages:

•    Knowledge of direct or indirect tax (or ideally both) appeal regimes.
•    Familiarity with tax enquiry and compliance regimes.
•    Understanding of the application and use of the Procedural Rules of the Tax Tribunal.
•    IT proficient with the ability to learn and adapt to different technologies, software packages and resource material.  
•    Experience of work in tax tribunal appeals.

Further details

This operational role will require the successful applicant to be mainly office based, in Hagley Road, Birmingham.

Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. HMCTS welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs and are agreed prior to appointment. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the MoJ’s Flexible Working policy.  

New recruits to the Civil Service joining MoJ are expected to join at the band minimum. Existing Civil Servants applying on promotion will usually be appointed on the salary minimum of the pay band or with an increased salary of 10% on their existing base salary (restricted to the new pay band maximum), whichever is the higher. Existing Civil Servants moving at the same grade will retain their existing remuneration package.

Proud to Serve. Proud to keep justice going.

For a full outline of the role, please refer to the attached role profile.

Person specification

Please refer to job description.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £39,868, HM Courts and Tribunals Service contributes £10,804 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.https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

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.