Join the HMRC graduate programme (Tax Professional)
Find out about HMRC's graduate recruitment programme, the selection process, and how to apply for the 2024 programme.
The HMRC Tax Specialist Programme 2024 closed for applications on 10 January 2024.
Welcome to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) – Where your career soars!
We’re absolutely thrilled that you’re considering HMRC as your next career destination. Get ready to embark on an exciting journey with us!
Our purpose
HMRC is one of the UK’s largest organisations, with around 66,000 employees, collecting over £605 billion in tax revenue.
At HMRC we are committed to helping our customers get their tax right. By making it easy for people to get tax right, hard for them to get it wrong and robustly tackling those who cheat the system, we run a fair and effective tax system, collecting the money for the UK’s public services, and giving financial support to people.
Making an impact
Tax funds everything the government does, from hospitals and schools to police and defence. We’re responsible for collecting taxes and duties from over 50 million people and five million businesses. We also administer various essential programmes, such as Child Benefit, Tax-Free Childcare, Statutory Pay, and Tax Credits. Our work includes protecting citizens through initiatives like enforcing the National Minimum Wage and Living Wage.
Transforming together
HMRC is going through an exciting time as we undertake a major transformation to modernise our organisation and deliver even better services to our customers. We’re embracing cutting-edge technology to make our jobs more efficient and connect us all. Our incredible journey is only possible with the support of our amazing team – that’s you!
A world of opportunities
At HMRC, we offer not just a job, but a rewarding career filled with challenges and opportunities. We’re committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone, regardless of their background, feels respected and valued. Our priority is to ensure that every colleague at HMRC has a voice, feels safe, and can thrive.
Recognised excellence
We take great pride in being recognised for our excellence. In the 2023 TARGET Jobs awards, we were shortlisted for the most popular graduate recruiter in the banking, insurance, and financial services sector. HMRC ranks within the top 50 UK’s top 300 graduate employers.
Join us for a specialist career in tax
What’s in store for you
Now, let’s talk about your role. As part of HMRC’s Tax Specialist Programme, you’ll join a group of highly skilled tax professionals who tackle the most challenging aspects of tax work. Along the way, you’ll gain valuable experience, learning how to resolve tax disputes, lead teams, interact with senior business figures, and tackle complex tax issues. You’ll play a vital role in our mission to ensure tax compliance and create a fair tax system.
HMRC is fundamentally an office-based organisation and while the role is not suitable for homeworking there is scope to work flexibly with the opportunity to work remotely 2 days a week as part of the opportunity to foster a sustainable work life balance.
The programme can be completed on part time hours and the minimum number of hours recommended would be 30 hours per week. If you would like more information on this or have other general enquiries, please contact [email protected].
The ideal candidate
We’re looking for enthusiastic individuals who are independent thinkers, strong problem solvers, committed to a 3 to 4-year training programme, team players, and adaptable to changing business needs. Integrity, professionalism, and a commitment to our core values are a must.
Our commitment
At HMRC, we invest in your growth and development. You’ll have access to a wide range of learning sessions, webinars, and support from your colleagues. We’re all about fostering a diverse and inclusive environment, offering opportunities to people regardless of their background.
Investing in you
HMRC prides itself on our learning and development opportunities and the support we give. We’re committed to investing in you and your development throughout your time at HMRC. You’ll have access to regular learning sessions and webinars from a range of cross-sector providers and we’ll make sure you have the tools and skills you need to do a brilliant job. On top of this, your colleagues will be there for you, offering mentoring, advice and practical help.
Diversity, inclusion and equality. We want everyone to feel valued, supported and comfortable being their true self at work. We are proud to be a diverse and inclusive employer, supporting social mobility by giving opportunities to people no matter their background. That’s why we have several staff diversity networks which cover race, disability, LGBTQ, gender and carers. You’ll be able to take part in any of these networks when you join us and getting involved is easy. You’ll be joining a friendly and helpful community. We’ll give you the support you need to grow in confidence, and help you enjoy your time inside and outside work, ensuring you have a good work-life balance. We believe we are a great place to work. For more information on our diversity networks see page seven of the Your Little Extras and Big Benefits booklet.
Eligibility
To join this adventure, you must have a 2:2 degree or equivalent (level 6) or expect to achieve one by September 2024. If you’re already a civil servant but don’t meet the academic requirements, you can apply if you were recruited through fair and open competition and have passed your probation period before September 2024
Nationality and immigration
You are eligible to apply for the TSP if you satisfy both the nationality and right to work/Immigration requirements.
Nationality requirements (Civil Service nationality rules)
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals from the EU, European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
- certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals
Further information on nationality requirements
You must have the right to work in the UK and meet the Immigration and Visa requirements on the GOV.UK Visas and Immigration page.
Rehabilitation of offenders
HMRC has an exemption under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions order 1975).
Applicants who are successful in reaching the provisional offer stage of the recruitment process will be asked to declare details of any criminal convictions, including spent convictions and cautions, to allow basic security checks to be completed.
Declaring a criminal conviction will not necessarily prevent you from being successful in your application for this particular programme, but it may exclude you from applying for other posts within the department.
Ready to apply?
All civil servants are appointed on merit through fair and open competition in line with the Civil Service Commission: Recruitment Principals. The selection process will consider your attitude, capability, and talent. If appointed you will be and are expected to carry out your role with dedication and a commitment to the Civil Service and its core values of integrity, honesty, objectivity, and impartiality.
The application has 3 stages:
Stage 1: application and on-line tests
Applications must be made through the CS Jobs site. We do not accept CV’s.
Applications for the programme close at 23.55 on 10 January 2024. The deadline for completing all 3 online tests was 11.30am on 12 January 2024.If you meet the minimum standard for the verbal reasoning test, you will be invited to take the Civil Service numerical test.
If you meet the minimum standard for the numerical test, you will be invited to take the Civil Service judgement test.
If you meet the minimum standard for the judgement test, your application will be put on hold for further consideration.
If you meet the minimum standard for each test your application will be put on hold for further consideration. Meeting the minimum standard is no guarantee of an invitation to continue the selection process. After the test deadline, we will review all scores from the verbal, numerical and judgement tests.
We will consider the impact on protected groups, and the number of places available at the next stage. We reserve the right to increase the scores for all tests to manage the applications through to Stage 2. You will be informed if you have passed or failed the raised standard.
Fourteen individual merit lists will be formed at this stage and progression to Stage 2 will be based on pass rates for each Regional Centre Location. These scores may vary depending on each Regional Centre location.
Stage 2: Civil Service Online Test
The test will open on 22nd January 2024 and will close at 11.30am on 29th January 2024. Further information to be provide to those who are successful at stage 1.If you meet the minimum standard for the Civil Service Online Test your application will be put on hold for further consideration. Meeting the minimum standard is no guarantee of an invitation to continue the selection process.
Fourteen individual merit lists will be reformed at this stage and progression to Stage 3 will be based on the pass rates for the Regional Centre Location you’ve applied for and these scores may vary depending on location. Every applicant will need to meet a minimum standard but not all will be successful in progressing to Stage 3.
Stage 3: 26th February 2024 - 22nd March 2024
The assessment centre will be held through a virtual platform and full details will be provided with your invitation. If successful, you will join the TSP24 in September 2024.
Further help in applying
Candidates requiring assistance
We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process because of a disability, condition or impairment. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate. Please see our Disability Matters: How we can support you during our selection process booklet for more details.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
- email the Government Recruitment Service as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs
- complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process – for example, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re hearing impaired, you may need a Language Service Professional
Disability Confident Scheme
HMRC operates a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS). Candidates who tick the DCS box will be invited to take online test if they meet the minimum standard at stage 1.
Please also remember to tick the DCS and/or Help Required boxes on your application form if you are applying under the DCS and/or seeking additional support.
Personal email address
We will email you throughout the recruitment process with updates and outcomes. We strongly recommend that you use your own personal email address as we will send emails with private information about your results.
Other Tax Professional posts in HMRC
Where candidates perform well in the application process, but we are unable to offer you a place on the TSP, we may offer opportunities for Higher Officer and/or Officer roles. If this is the case, you will be given more detail about potential roles and asked to register your interest towards the beginning of June 2024.
Repeat applications
You cannot re-apply for the same year’s intake if you fail at any stage of the application process. Any second application will be flagged as a duplicate and removed from the system.
You can however apply again for the TSP programme the following year.
Updates to this page
Published 27 February 2013Last updated 4 December 2023 + show all updates
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Updated with information about how to apply for the 2024 programme.
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Updated the page to add the date that applications open for the 2024 programme.
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Updated start date for applicants and corrected interview dates.
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Amended application closing time.
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Updated for the 2022 programme.
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Updated with information about how to apply for the 2022 programme.
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Page updated for opening of applications for the 2021 programme.
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Added link to application page for the internship scheme.
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Republished on day that 2020 scheme opens for applications and includes updates to the process.
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Updated to reflect the application dates and new information for the 2019 graduate programme.
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Applications have now closed.
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Updated GIS information.
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Updated with this year's key dates and information.
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Amended to reflect that the current application process has now closed.
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Updated to reflect the application dates and new information for the 2017 programme.
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Added links to the Tax Specialist Programme (Graduate) 2016 and Internship Tax Specialist Programme 2016 on Civil Service Jobs.
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Amended application dates and added locations for the 2016 programme
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Amended application dates for the 2016 programme
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Updated to include details for the 2016 programme
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Added links to the How to Apply section
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Updated information on page for September 2014.
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Updates to reflect the Tax Specialist Programme (TSP), previously called TPDP, which forms part of the campaign to promote the 2015 Campaign.
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Added the line "The scheme will reopen for applications in September 2014".
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Added locations.
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Updated to include the closing date for applications of 29 November 2013
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Updated to include further information on the 2013/14 Programme
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Updated to include details for the 2014 programme
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First published.