HMRC Graduate Tax Specialist Programme 2016

Hi,
Does that mean if I have worked for two years as a HO operational delivery caseworker I should be eligible for this advanced programme? Or is the tax inspection training something that I have to apply to get on seperately in order to complete it? And what exactly do the operational delivery caseworkers do do you know?
Joining the tsp in the very last two years of the programme does it still allow you to obtain the BA degree as well?

Thanks, sorry for asking so many things at the same time

You would need two years operational experience to be eligible to apply. You would complete your tax inspector training in your first two years of employment as an HO. I'm not entirely sure if the operational experience would count from day one of your employment or whether it would count from when you have completed your tax professional qualifications and become an inspector.

I'm only starting the HO role myself in October so I don't know the full details of the role but I do know it involves investigating individuals or businesses whose tax returns are identified as potentially suspicious and visiting these people/businesses and their agents to allow a full investigation into their tax affairs to check whether the correct amount of tax has been paid.

I've included the info from the HMRC intranet so you can read all thee details. From a different page I read it's unclear as to whether you would still get the BA degree.

I was offered a HO role 6 weeks ago and accepted straight away. The pre-employment checks seem to be going on forever! I sent an email to [email protected] to chase whether the checks had been completed and I received the following response...

"Thank you for your email. I can confirm that we have received your email accepting the provisional offer. We regret to inform you that due to the large number of applicants received for this campaign the pre-employment checking process will take longer than planned. Please rest assured that we are working with our partners to resolve this delay as speedily as possible, and you will be notified as soon as your checks have been processed. To help facilitate the process, we would be grateful if you could continue to monitor your emails, and respond to any requests for further information as quickly as possible. Please accept our apologies for this delay and any inconvenience this may cause."

I hope this is resolved soon!

Thank you so much for the information. That's really helpful! Do they run this every year?
However if my start date is after September does that mean I won't be able to apply for this course?
I was successful for the tsp programme but didn't want to relocate, so got offered operational delivery caseworker post.

Do you have any idea if this post would involve a lot of training such as tax modules,exams?

I saw from another thread you have been offered the same position as well? If by any chance you are in greater London, do you know where the offices are at all? Thanks

I've been offered a HO position in Leeds but currently work in Manchester. Off the top of my head I only know of Euston Square as a London office but there are more and I can check tomorrow.

The ATSP is reviewed each year as to whether they will run one. Applications had to be submitted in December 2015 for the 2016 programme which starts next month. I assume the date for applying for the 2017 programme would be December this year. As I mentioned though you need two years operational experience to be able to apply so if you were to start your role this year you wouldn't be able to apply until December 2018 at the earliest for the 2019 programme.

This post will involved a lot of training. I think there are 12 exams which need to be completed within two years but you can take them at your own pace when you're ready to take them. It will involve classroom training, lectures, studying from home and on the job training to gain an understanding of the practical side of the work. What you will be studying is what you would have studied in the first two years of the TSP had you chosen to do that.

Thank you so much that is way more more informative than the two lines in the email I have received stating you might need to take exams and study modules lol.

Would you be able to check the greater London offices tomorrow please? That would be great! I understand we will eventually move to Stratford or croydon but just curious of where I would possibly be based for the next couple of years. Would greater London pay the same level as London pay instead of national pay?

Provisional or formal offer?

Here are the main London offices that I *think* have an enforcement and compliance presence:

Custom House EC3R 6EE
Dorset House SE1 9PY
Euston Tower NW1 3UH
Jubilee House E15 1AW
Olympic House HA9 0YD

I think the majority of people from those offices would move to Stratford as that will be the larger of the two new sites.

All of those offices are due to close between 2019-2021

You would receive the London allowance for each of those locations AFAIK

Thank you for being so kind to answer all my questions throughout.

By allowance do you mean the salary we get paid or the overtime allowance? Is the allowance paid as one lump sum or based on the extra hours we have worked?
I did see you replying to a post stating the hours wont be flexi hours?

That was in regards to somebody who was told their working schedule was to be between 8-8 Monday to Friday and additional weekends. My offer letter for HO caseworker stated the hours were 9-5 Monday to Friday but because of visiting tax payers you're also expected to occasionally work out of hours, weekends and public holidays. It's called a variable hours scheme, if you were to work an 3 extra hours to conduct a visit you discuss with your manager when you could take time off to make up for it. So it is still flexi time and you would have a lot of flexibility on how you actually want to work your contracted hours.

The London allowance is around an additional £3000 that is split over 12 months and added to your regular monthly wage.

wow!That is a bit of a surprise! So even if I work in the greater London area, I will receive London level pay and allowance?

Are you currently on flexi hours or 9-5? It just seems a bit strange to not have flexi hours for our post. How often will we be visiting tax payers? Do we get work on certain business sizes? like large businesses, medium businesses?

Is it extremely rare for a provisional offer not to become a formal offer? Scared to just leave all my eggs in one basket.

Hi i am in exactly the same situation. It is taking forever and theres been no update or anything. I may try and ring them to find out next week!

That was in regards to somebody who was told their working schedule was to be between 8-8 Monday to Friday and additional weekends. My offer letter for HO caseworker stated the hours were 9-5 Monday to Friday but because of visiting tax payers you're also expected to occasionally work out of hours, weekends and public holidays. It's called a variable hours scheme, if you were to work an 3 extra hours to conduct a visit you discuss with your manager when you could take time off to make up for it. So it is still flexi time and you would have a lot of flexibility on how you actually want to work your contracted hours.

The London allowance is around an additional £3000 that is split over 12 months and added to your regular monthly wage.

Let me know what they say please. I'm slightly concerned that we won't receive a start date until 2017 at this rate!

I've just been offered the O grade position in London (provisional subject to checks). The email states that the salary for O grade officers is £23,600 National and £27,285 for London.

Sorry I'm a little confused, does that mean I will receive £30,285 including the London weighting? Or is the £27,285 inclusive of the London weighting? The disparity between the National Wage and London Wage is £3,685 - just wondering if the London pay embodies this allowance.

Thanks, appreciate any response to the above

Hi,

Roughly how long did it take for your pre-employment checks to be completed?

Hey Super....doesn't sound like it took long at all between provisional offer and pre-employment checks being completed? Assuming you are one of the many who passed stage two but not enough for Assesment Centre? Seems strange to me that HMRC seem about to issue formal offers without having spoken to many of us at all face to face? Fingers crossed I hear back from DBS checks as quickly as you do.....

Sorry for the late reply. It took about 3-4 weeks, I'm not sure precisely. Also, I've been made a formal offer now as well, about 2 weeks after my pre employment checks were done which should give an approximate timescale.



Yes, I only got to stage two. I know, that does bother me a bit to be honest but I mean it's a good graduate job with decent pay so I'm not gonna look this gift horse in the mouth haha. Hope they've got back to you now.