HMRC Graduate Tax Specialist Programme 2016

Hi everyone,

Congrats to all of you who have received job offers. I have also been offered a Band O Position last week in London. I have filled out the next stage information stratight away. Does anyone know how long the checks going to take? Do we need to wait for any further paper or they will be in touch?

Thank you.

Congrats! Hmrc emailed me and said pre employment checks normally take around 20 working days (I.e. 4 weeks/a month).

They'll email you once they've been completed.

Do they send an email to say they received you acceptance? / filled out the next stage bits?

They normally do for your acceptance email yeah. The next stage bits they'll probably just email you once all the checks have been completed (unless you email them directly).

To my knowledge, ALL new starters are now on the same contractual hours: 8-8, 5 out of 7 days. This gives HMRC the flexibility to place staff where they need them or move staff around if necessary. In the past that proved difficult when certain people were (and still are) on fixed hours contracts.

In practice, as a tax professional it's likely you will work normal office hours, Mon-Fri. Evenings and weekends will GENERALLY apply to staff in Operational Delivery, rather than Tax Professional, roles, but also some specialist Tax Professional roles, as others have stated on here previously. However, as I said, the flexibility is there to meet the requirements of each individual line of business.

Strictly speaking, the availability of flexitime also depends on the requirements of individual lines of business and even which office you work in. However, GENERALLY there is some sort of flexible working available across the whole/most of the department.

I received the TSP timetable today and I have a few queries...It appears that there are 3 separate two-day induction events in Lincoln the week beginning the 12th September. Am I right in assuming all travel costs would be reimbursed? Also, for module 1 (book-keeping), it says 3 'days in class' each week. This can't be correct, can it? The other modules suggest only 1 day a week. I know this will all be cleared up when we start, but I'm getting impatient/excited!

Hey,
Congrats on your offer too, I'm also in the same position. I have heard checks can take upto 3 months and that HMRC get in touch once the checks are complete.

I had another question, on the portal under attachments there are various forms, does anyone know whether we are required to fill these in yet? and if so where are these completed forms supposed to be sent?...the provisional offer e-mail did not mention these forms at all so I don't actually know what to do. Would be grateful for some guidance.

Friend already at HMRC tells me this paperwork is to be brought with you on first day after formal offer.

Hello everyone, bit of an update. As I wrote in last week, I had been transferred from the TSP reserve list to the CSR/1666/16 HMRC Band HO Tax Professional Programme 2016 reserve list, as I guess they'd filled all the slots on TSP. Had this email through today:

Further to your application for the Tax Specialist Programme and the e-mail you received advising that we would consider offering appointments to other roles in HMRC.

I am pleased to be able to offer you an opportunity to join HM Revenue and Customs as a Tax Professional / Operational Delivery Caseworker at Higher Officer in Manchester.

This is a role in an exciting and challenging environment in HMRC. You will be part of a dynamic team working together with energy and enthusiasm and focusing on tackling tax evasion and non-compliance. The work is varied and interesting, it can be challenging but also rewarding. Training comprises of a mixture of e-learning, face to face and practical exercises and you may be required to undertake study, complete learning assessments and pass tax professional modules and exams within a given period.

Exciting news! There is still hope out there for us reserve listers. Not counting my chickens just yet as it's only a provisional offer with no set start date and subject to pre-employment checks etc. But promising nonetheless. Anyone else going to be working in Manchester on Evasion and Non-compliance?

So is this the TSP programme they are offering or HO?

I replied back confirming my acceptance but haven't heard anything back yet :/

It's an HO role. It's the Tax Professional Programme instead of Tax Specialist Programme. I think it's a different reserve that the reserve listers for the TSP have been transferred to. It just appeared on my CSR portal last week then today got the offer. In the job description it sounds fairly similar, pay is the same (iirc) as the TSP to start but is a 2 year programme and I imagine doesn't have quite the same prospects for progression.

What is the office dress code?

Pay is actually better for the HO roles than the TSP (in the short term).

TSP Pay for the first two years is £27045 (National) / £29256 (London) - and then increases at the two year point by about 4-5k.

HO pay is £29358 (National) / £33388 (London) - And so is a few K better initially, although you're right to say that the trade off is in terms of less training/progression than the scheme.

HMRC also has an Advanced Tax Specialist Programme for people already working in HMRC who have completed their Tax Inspector training and have two years operational experience. If you apply and are successful you would join TSP members in the final two years of their programme and would be fast streamed to grade 7.