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Finance & accounting

Tax inspector

Tax inspectors make sure the correct amount of tax is paid and investigate cases of fraud.

Annual Salary

£30,000 to £57,000

Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)

Working hours

38 to 40 a week

You could work: between 8am and 6pm;

2.9%
Future employment

There will be 2.9% more Tax inspector jobs in 2027.

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.

You can get into this job through:

  • applying directly
Direct application

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

Requirements and restrictions

You'll need to:

More information

Further information

You can find out more about working in taxation from Civil Service Careers.

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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.

You can find out more about working in taxation from Civil Service Careers.

Skills required and how your skills match up

What skills are required?

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 including court procedures and government regulations
  • customer service skills
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
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