Tax Compliance Auditor

A fascinating and varied role reviewing the systems and processes of the largest UK businesses, often at the forefront of new technological innovation. With the ongoing rise of digital tax technologies, this cross-tax role is an integral contribution to our compliance approach, and you will be at the heart of the HMRC customer tax team, advising tax specialists in a variety of potential activities from mapping tax and accounting systems, walkthroughs of the operation of the systems, assessing control activities in place to ensure they are accurate, to the review of methodology applied to adjustments and corrections made by our customers. 

Employing critical thinking to identify potential risk areas and highlighting errors, you may be called in to review any of the duties, taxes, and levies HMRC is responsible for to confirm the accuracy of tax submissions and returns. Whilst you will not need expert tax knowledge in any particular area, you will be learning and refreshing your knowledge based on current demands and compliance themes. 

As part of a small team of Auditors in our regional centres, you will work with HMRC Large Business tax specialists to interview business representatives from all levels of their organisation, both virtually and face-to-face. Strong communication skills, both written and oral, will be required to report findings and recommendations through a variety of presentations and formal audit reports. 

This role will give you the opportunity to work with a range of people and discuss tax and technology subjects on a day-to-day basis. You will travel to meet representatives from diverse businesses across the UK with some overnight stays. 

Organisational skills are key, with the need to coordinate and progress an ongoing caseload of work and communicate with relevant stakeholders. 

You will complete the audit learning routeway, which takes 12 to 18 months and includes passing the Interactive Data Extraction and Analysis (IDEA) learning check. Training may fall on any day Monday to Friday so you may be asked to adapt any non-working days for a short period of time during the training.

This is an exciting opportunity for self-motivated people with an analytical mind and a thirst for learning, to explore the world of tax and technology.

Key Responsibilities 

• Systems & Processes – Be responsible for discussing and interpreting known and common risks with Tax Specialists, creating a programme of audit work in line with our Audit methodology to provide assurance over the accuracy of the process.
• Data Analysis – You will arrange for relevant data to be extracted from customer systems and analyse this within IDEA (data interrogation software used in audit.) You will present findings in a variety of methods from table summaries to charts and graphs as appropriate.
• Governance – You will consider how customers manage tax risks within their organisation, and how this may impact on accurate tax submissions.

Essential Criteria

Successful candidates will need to: 

• analyse data and other information critically, making logical conclusions
• be able to communicate complex information to a wider audience 
• manage and progress a caseload, keeping senior colleagues informed
• be confident in the use of Office 365 tools such as Outlook, SharePoint and Teams
• professionally present findings in Excel and Word

Desirable Criteria  

Experience and understanding of: 

• information systems and accounting software 
• governance and risk management 
• data extraction, manipulation and analysis techniques

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

• You will be asked to demonstrate your approach to a hypothetical scenario at interview.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Find more about HMRC benefits in 'Your little extras and big benefits handbook' for further information or visit Thinking of joining the Civil Service.

Application & Selection Process Details 

As part of the selection process, you will be asked to complete: 

• There will be a numerical test which should be completed before the CV
• Your CV should detail your job history
• Your Personal Statement (maximum of 750 words) which should illustrate why you think you meet the  essential criteria, desirable criteria, knowledge, and experience for this role. The desirable criteria will not be sifted on, but may be used in the event of a tie-break.

You must pass the numerical test for the application to progress further.

If a large number of applications are received, an initial sift will take place on the personal statement followed by a full sift against the CV and Personal Statement, and interviews.