Tax inspector
Tax inspectors make sure the correct amount of tax is paid and investigate cases of fraud.
What you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
In your day-to-day duties you could:
- examine business accounts
- visit businesses to interview board directors, lawyers and accountants
- investigate suspected fraud
- offer specialist advice about tax
- negotiate settlements
- represent HMRC at appeals tribunals
- consider and apply tax law to cases
- lead a team of caseworkers and administrative staff
- manage relationships between HMRC and customers
Working environment
You could work at a client's business or in an office.
Career path and progression
With experience, you could move through HMRC's promotion structure to more senior or specialist posts.
You could go into the private sector as a tax adviser, or become a self-employed tax consultant.
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
- knowledge of economics and accounting
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- maths knowledge
- the ability to work on your own
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- analytical thinking skills
- legal knowledge of tax regulations
- customer service skills
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
Restrictions and Requirements
You'll need to:
- meet the Civil Service nationality requirements
How to become
You can get into this job through:
- applying directly
You'll need to apply for a place on HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) Tax Specialist Programme and have one of the following:
- a degree in any subject, minimum second class
- an equivalent award like a professional accountancy qualification
Further information
You can find out more about working in taxation from Civil Service Careers.
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External links
This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.