Tax Professional Development Programme

We deal with every single UK business, looking into their finances and records in order to understand exactly how they work.

This type of development programme should suit you if you enjoy:

  • dealing with people
  • tackling complex issues
  • using your intellect and solving problems
  • investigating and finding out how businesses function.
  • analysing and interpreting information
  • challenging and negotiating

Depending on your role, you could find yourself:

  • making 'site' visits and interviewing Board directors, their lawyers and accountants
  • negotiating settlements
  • representing HMRC at Appeal Tribunals
  • investigating fraud
  • working as a consultant, offering specialist advice to teams across the business
  • leading your own casework teams
  • considering and agreeing the application of tax statute and case law.
  • Taking responsibility for managing the relationship between HMRC and key businesses and their advisers.

While you are on this programme, you will get an insight into the broad range of work HMRC undertakes, and the further you get into your development, the more you will be encouraged to explore and develop particular skills and knowledge.

How the training works

The Tax Professional Programme, like the earlier Inspector Development Programme, is modular in format. Core modules will provide you with a range of essential skills and knowledge that all tax professionals within HMRC need. You will also undertake job specific modules related to your particular role.

The modules in the Development Programme cover both technical (tax) knowledge as well as the professional skills you will need to apply that knowledge to the job and deal efficiently with people.

In addition to formal assessment for each module, your manager will monitor and assess your progress throughout and you will receive support and coaching on both the technical aspects and the professional skills covered by the programme.

  • practical work experience in teams, on live assignments
  • formal study days at one of our training centres
  • tutor-led sessions, self-study and office work, as well as exams and practical work assessments designed to build up your knowledge of tax law and practice
  • regular reviews and appraisals.

Throughout the Programme, you will be working as part of an experienced team where you will be able to learn from the knowledge and experience that the other team members have.

Your responsibilities will increase as your knowledge and confidence develops. You will carry out interviews and site visits, and perhaps even start leading teams.

The Development Programme usually takes about four years to complete and at that point you will be ready to work in a technical/ investigative role or in a customer relationship management leader role that requires a broad range of knowledge and skills. You could be dealing with international issues, large companies, fraud, policy development, or you could be managing people and cases.

At the end of the Programme, we'd expect you to be employed into a pay band which currently begins at £42,586 (national), £47,735 (London). Pay award pending.