The HMRC Strategy for working with the Voluntary and Community Sector

The HMRC Strategy for working with the Voluntary and Community Sector sets out HMRC’s aim to improve the development and delivery of HMRC policy, services, processes and products, through effective engagement with the VCS. HMRC worked with its Key Strategic VCS Partners through the VCS Advisory Group to develop and agree all aspects of the Strategy.

The Strategy provides a framework for identifying and developing opportunities for joint working, and for progressing new and innovative ways of providing services through the VCS as intermediaries and as specialists in understanding our customers’ needs.

The Strategy respects the independence of the VCS and recognises that, in their working with HMRC, that independence is to be valued and not compromised.

Implementation of the Strategy will help HMRC to provide a more effective, efficient and socially inclusive service to a larger section of our customer base, which is otherwise hard to reach. It will also allow both the VCS and HMRC to make best use of the role and vital experience of the VCS in providing:

• a strong focus on the needs of service users;
• knowledge and expertise to meet complex personal needs and tackle difficult social issues;
• an ability to be flexible and offer joined-up service delivery;
• the capacity to build users’ trust; and
• the experience and independence to innovate.