How to get a job at HMRC: roles, grades and the application process

Jobs at HMRC are civil service jobs, so you apply online through Civil Service Jobs or the HMRC careers site, one vacancy at a time. Most HMRC jobs don’t need a degree: many vacancies are for customer service advisors and compliance caseworkers, and the advert tells you exactly what you need. You usually send a CV or work history plus short examples of the “behaviours” in the advert, then take an online test or interview, followed by security checks.

This guide covers what HMRC jobs actually involve, the grades and entry routes, where to find vacancies, how each stage works and how to write a CV that shows an HMRC panel what it wants to see.

What HMRC does, and the jobs it recruits for

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is the UK’s tax, payments and customs authority. It collects taxes such as Income Tax and VAT, pays some types of financial support, such as Child Benefit, and runs customs processes for goods coming into and leaving the country. That work needs a very large workforce, spread across offices throughout the UK.

The main kinds of HMRC jobs are:

• Customer service advisors. Answering phone calls and webchats from people and businesses with questions about their tax, benefits or accounts. This is one of the most common ways into HMRC.
• Compliance caseworkers. Checking that people and businesses have paid the right amount of tax, through letters, calls and other contact, and putting things right where they haven’t.
• Processing and admin roles. Handling post, records, forms and payments accurately and on time.
• Debt management. Contacting people who owe tax and agreeing how it will be paid.
• Tax specialists and investigators. More technical work on complex tax affairs, and investigating serious fraud.
• Professional roles. Digital, data and technology, finance, HR, project delivery, legal and policy jobs, as in other large departments.

You don’t need to be a tax expert for customer service or caseworker roles. HMRC trains new starters in the rules and systems they’ll use; what it looks for is accuracy, good judgement and a calm, clear way with people.

HMRC grades and pay

HMRC uses the standard civil service grades, though its adverts sometimes use its own names for them. You may see:

• Administrative Officer (AO): many customer service, processing and admin roles.
• Officer: HMRC’s name for Executive Officer (EO) level, including many caseworker and first-line manager roles.
• Higher Officer and Senior Officer: HMRC’s names for HEO and SEO, covering experienced caseworkers, specialists and managers.
• Grade 7, Grade 6 and the Senior Civil Service for senior specialists and leaders.

Pay varies by grade and by location, and HMRC’s pay rates change from year to year, so rely on the salary shown in each advert. For a fuller explanation of grades, nationality rules and how civil service recruitment works across government, see our guide on how to get a civil service job.

Where to find jobs at HMRC

• Civil Service Jobs. Search for “HMRC” or filter by the department “HM Revenue and Customs”, then narrow by location and grade. Set up a saved search and email alert, because large recruitment campaigns can close quickly.
• The HMRC careers site. HMRC runs its own careers site at careers.hmrc.gov.uk, with vacancies and information about the different career areas.
• Temporary roles through agencies. At busy times of year, HMRC sometimes takes on temporary staff through recruitment agencies. These can be a useful way to gain experience, but the terms are set by the agency, so read the advert carefully.

Many HMRC jobs are based in large regional offices in cities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and some adverts let you choose from several locations. Check what each advert says about office attendance and working hours before you apply, as these differ between roles.

Entry routes if you are starting out

If you’re new to work, or new to office work, these are the realistic ways in:

• Customer service advisor or AO roles. Experience in a shop, call centre, care setting or hospitality counts, because it shows you can help people under pressure. Many people build a career in HMRC from these roles.
• Apprenticeships. HMRC takes on apprentices when its schemes are open, and they are advertised alongside other vacancies. Apprentices are paid while they train.
• The Tax Specialist Programme. HMRC’s training route into technical tax work. It opens to applicants in cycles and has its own entry requirements, so check the current advert on the HMRC careers site.
• Graduate routes. Graduates can also apply through the Civil Service Fast Stream, which places people in departments across government.

Moving to the UK? You’ll need to meet the Civil Service Nationality Rules and prove your right to work, and some HMRC roles need security vetting that asks about time spent living in the UK. Each advert explains what applies.

The HMRC application process

HMRC follows the civil service process, but the exact stages change from advert to advert. A typical application for an HMRC customer service or caseworker job looks like this:

1. Read the advert in full. Note the grade, location, essential criteria, the behaviours being assessed and which one is the lead behaviour, and the closing date and time.
2. Online application. Usually a CV or employment history plus one or more short behaviour statements. Some large campaigns start with an online test before anything else.
3. The sift. A panel scores your written answers against the advert.
4. Online test. Many roles use the Civil Service Judgement Test, which asks how you would handle realistic work situations. You can try free practice tests on GOV.UK.
5. Interview. Usually by video, with behaviour and strength questions.
6. Offer and checks. Identity, right to work, references and security checks. Keep your current job until HMRC confirms a start date.

Behaviour statements follow the STAR method: Situation, Task, Action, Result. Our civil service jobs guide has a full worked example and lists all nine behaviours. For HMRC customer roles, “Managing a Quality Service”, “Working Together” and “Communicating and Influencing” come up often, but always go by the advert in front of you.

Your CV for an HMRC job

An HMRC panel reading your CV or work history is checking for one thing: evidence that you can do the essential criteria in the advert. For customer and caseworker roles, that usually means handling people well, getting details right and following procedures with sensitive information.

What HMRC looks for

• Experience of helping customers by phone, webchat, email or face to face, especially with problems or complaints
• Accuracy: checking figures, forms or records and keeping careful notes
• Handling personal or financial information carefully and confidentially
• Following rules and processes, and knowing when to pass a case on
• Working to targets or deadlines without losing quality
• Using computer systems, such as case management software, CRM systems or spreadsheets

The strong version names the work, gives a realistic volume and shows a skill HMRC needs every day: explaining money matters clearly to someone who may be worried. Only use numbers you can honestly back up at interview.

Keep the layout simple, with reverse-chronological jobs, month-and-year dates and no photo. Our guide on how to write a UK CV covers the basics, and if you want a ready-made version, you can get your CV ready for UK employers in a few minutes.

HMRC interviews: what to expect

Most HMRC interviews are structured and scored. The panel asks every candidate the same questions and marks each answer against the behaviours and strengths in the advert.

Behaviour questions

These ask for a real example. Prepare one STAR story for each behaviour in the advert, plus a spare. For example:

• “Tell us about a time you helped a customer who was upset or confused.”
• “Describe a time you noticed a mistake in your work or someone else’s. What did you do?”
• “Give an example of when you had to follow a process you disagreed with.”

Strength questions

These test what you enjoy and do naturally, so answer honestly rather than with a rehearsed story. For example: “How do you feel when you have to repeat the same task many times in a day?” or “Do you prefer to finish one thing fully or juggle several at once?”

Your HMRC application checklist

• I’ve read the whole advert and noted the grade, location, office attendance and closing time
• I meet the nationality rules and can prove my right to work
• I know which behaviours are assessed and which one is the lead
• Each behaviour statement uses STAR, says “I” and stays within the word limit
• My CV shows customer handling, accuracy and careful use of information, with real examples
• I’ve tried the GOV.UK practice tests
• I have a STAR example ready for each behaviour, plus a spare
• I’m applying only through Civil Service Jobs, the HMRC careers site or a named agency advert

Jobs at HMRC are open to people from many backgrounds, and you don’t need contacts or a tax background to get one. Find the right advert, match your evidence to the criteria and behaviours it lists, practise the tests and prepare your STAR examples. If you’re not successful, ask for feedback where it’s offered and apply again; HMRC recruits regularly. If you’re applying more widely too, our guide on how to get a job in the UK walks through the whole job search.

Frequently asked questions