VAT Tax Specialist, HM Revenue & Customs, Edinburgh

Summary

It’s a very exciting time to join HMRC.

HMRC is the UK’s tax, payments and customs authority, we have a vital purpose, and we collect the money that pays for public services and help families and individuals with targeted financial support.

Mid-Size Business (MSB) is a part of Customer Compliance Group (CCG) Directorate. It is responsible for tax compliance across the Mid-Size businesses in the UK, which are defined as those that have a turnover between £10 million and £200 million or more than 20 employees. There are approximately 170,000 VAT businesses and they are significant in terms of growth potential and entrepreneurial activity.

Successful candidates are key to delivering our strategy for identifying and tackling the risks presented by these businesses. As a compliance area our work is divided into Promote, Prevent and Respond (PPR) in line with HMRC Compliance Strategy. We provide education and support to our customers (promote and prevent) whilst also tackling non-compliance on a risk basis using traditional methods (respond) which contributes to a healthy tax administration System.

Job description

Your role within WMBC Mid-Size Business is to increase operational performance by supporting front line VAT staff and their managers, working closely with the Risk & Regime Unit (R&R), Customer & Strategy Unit (C&S) and the VAT Lead network to help deliver strategic objectives.

The successful candidates will be allocated a role determined on basis of suitability but may also be required to be flexible, as the future strategy of compliance within the Mid-Size population changes and develops.

Responsibilities

• Focusing on a specific sector or technical project to develop a plan to address risk through the most appropriate compliance activity giving due consideration to upstream, cross-tax or cross business area collaboration.
• Providing direction and support to Junior VAT Tax Specialists in order to deliver key performance objectives, using a risk-based approach to prioritise activity.
• Working with VAT Managers to deliver CPD for VAT Tax Specialists and build best practice, organizing and arranging events as required.
• Taking ownership of more complex cases within the customer population or having a specific allocation of large customers to monitor, with a view to develop an in-depth awareness.
• Be responsible for identifying and addressing key risks through the progression of compliance checks.
• Provide support and advice to regional VAT stakeholders, VAT Sector Leads and Regional VAT Leads, identifying and raising issues that impact on the VAT business.
• Provide tactical advice and oversee progress on larger and/or more complex cases.
• Liaise closely with other regional colleagues, and Business Unit Heads participating in an effective network to ensure there is consistency in the way VAT is assured; identify and address operational issues, informing strategic picture of risk and identifying capability issues.

Essential Criteria:

• Be experienced and have proven background and ability in undertaking risk assessments and involvement in complex VAT Compliance checks with Customers.
• Have strong analytical skills and be able to evaluate information from a wide range of sources to arrive at the right conclusion.
• Have taken responsibility to provide technical advice and support to VAT Tax Specialists and others in addressing risks, using knowledge and judgement on complex, contentious issues and researching those issues as appropriate, to ensure consistency across the business and compliance that are in line with the law and internal procedures.
• Must have successfully completed and passed a VAT Qualification.
• Proven experience of leadership.

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

Tax technical knowledge and ability

Benefits

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