HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is inviting applications for its Tax Specialist Programme 2027, offering 500 permanent positions for individuals interested in building a professional career in tax, compliance and public service in the United Kingdom.
The programme combines paid employment, structured professional training and practical experience in handling complex tax cases. Successful candidates will join HMRC as Higher Executive Officers and develop the specialist knowledge required to progress into senior tax professional roles.
Applicants do not need previous tax experience, an accounting qualification or a finance-related degree. However, they must meet the academic or existing Civil Service eligibility requirements and be prepared to complete a demanding three- to four-year development programme.
Application deadline: 26 October 2026 at 11:55 pm UK time.
Overview of the HMRC Tax Specialist Programme 2027
- Employer: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
- Programme: Tax Specialist Programme 2027
- Number of vacancies: 500
- Job grade: Higher Executive Officer (HEO)
- Contract: Permanent
- Salary: £37,682–£46,077 per year, depending on location
- Salary after successful programme completion: £58,541 nationally or £65,869 in London, at the stated Grade 7 rates
- Programme duration: Approximately three to four years
- Locations: Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Croydon, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Nottingham, Portsmouth and Stratford
- Working arrangements: Full-time or part-time, with flexible working where business needs permit
- Application deadline: 26 October 2026
- Reference number: 484623
About the HMRC Tax Specialist Programme
The Tax Specialist Programme is designed to develop the next generation of tax professionals within HMRC’s Compliance Operations Directorate.
Tax specialists help ensure that individuals and businesses pay the correct amount of tax, supporting public services such as healthcare, education and infrastructure.
Participants receive structured training while working on real tax cases. They investigate complex financial information, assess evidence, communicate with taxpayers and professional advisers, and develop the professional judgement needed to resolve tax enquiries.
The programme provides a route into a long-term specialist career, with automatic promotion following successful completion of the programme and satisfaction of the required standards.
Salary and Employment Benefits
Successful candidates receive a permanent employment contract from day one, with a salary determined by their appointed location.
Starting salary
- National locations: £37,682–£40,705 per year.
- London locations: £42,631–£46,077 per year.
Salary after successful completion
- National: £58,541 per year.
- London: £65,869 per year.
The advert also identifies a Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%, subject to the applicable pension arrangements.
Other benefits include:
- Annual leave starting at 25 days and increasing to 30 days with qualifying service.
- Flexible and hybrid working options where business needs allow.
- Learning and professional development opportunities.
- Family-friendly policies and wellbeing support.
- A diverse and inclusive working environment.
- Access to the Civil Service pension scheme.
What Will Successful Candidates Do?
Tax Specialist Programme trainees will take on practical responsibilities from an early stage. Their work may include:
- Managing tax cases and organising competing priorities.
- Gathering, analysing and evaluating complex information.
- Reviewing evidence and resolving tax enquiries.
- Communicating with customers, accountants and tax advisers.
- Conducting meetings through face-to-face, telephone, video and written channels.
- Helping ensure that the correct tax, statutory interest and penalties are applied where appropriate.
- Developing knowledge of Corporation Tax, Personal Tax, VAT, Employment Duties and Customs.
- Building negotiation, communication, influencing and decision-making skills.
The programme combines workplace casework with formal learning, independent study, written and verbal assessments, and support from experienced tax professionals.
Candidates should be prepared for a demanding training schedule that requires organisation, resilience and a commitment to ongoing professional development.
Who Can Apply?
Applicants must meet at least one of the following eligibility routes:
Academic route: Hold, or expect to achieve by September 2027, at least a 2:2 undergraduate degree or an equivalent Level 6 qualification.
Existing Civil Service route: Be a current Civil Servant recruited through fair and open competition and have successfully completed probation before September 2027. This alternative applies to eligible candidates who do not hold a degree-level qualification.
Applicants must also satisfy the programme’s nationality and right-to-work requirements.
The role is open to eligible UK nationals, Irish nationals, qualifying Commonwealth nationals with the right to work in the UK, and certain other nationalities and immigration-status categories specified in the official Civil Service nationality rules.
Important: This vacancy is not eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Applicants must ensure they meet the applicable nationality, immigration and employment requirements before applying.
Candidates subject to a Conduct and Discipline sanction are not eligible to join the programme.
Working Arrangements and Location Requirements
Applicants must select one preferred location during the application process. That preference remains in place throughout recruitment, so candidates should choose a location they can realistically travel to and work from.
The role cannot be performed entirely from home. Successful candidates must attend an HMRC office for at least 60% of their working time and meet the programme’s customer engagement and travel requirements.
Part-time work is possible, subject to a minimum of 28 working hours per week. Working part-time may extend the overall duration of the programme.
Contractual homeworking is generally not available unless the candidate is already an HMRC homeworker and the arrangement is assessed at the offer stage.
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted through the official Civil Service Jobs recruitment system.
Step 1: Read the official job advert and the accompanying Tax Specialist Programme 2027 Candidate Guide.
Step 2: Review the eligibility requirements, recruitment stages, assessment arrangements and location options.
Step 3: Prepare truthful examples from personal academic, professional or other relevant experience. The recruitment process uses Civil Service Success Profiles and assesses ability, including through online assessments and potentially a final assessment centre.
Step 4: Submit the application through the official vacancy page and complete the required assessment stages within the specified deadlines.
Step 5: Monitor email communications for invitations, assessment instructions and recruitment updates.
How to Strengthen Your Application
Applicants should demonstrate analytical thinking, sound judgement, effective communication, organisation, resilience and a willingness to learn.
Use specific examples to show how complex information has been analysed, how competing priorities have been managed, or how evidence has informed a decision. Examples should come from the applicant’s own experience and must be accurate.
Candidates should also familiarise themselves with the Civil Service Success Profiles framework and review the candidate guide before beginning the online assessments.
Application Deadline
The closing date is 26 October 2026 at 11:55 pm UK time. Applicants should submit their applications early and allow sufficient time to complete any required online assessments.
Official Application Information
For the complete job description, candidate guide, eligibility rules and application instructions, visit the official Civil Service Jobs vacancy:
