Review Officer

Job summary

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Legal Group provides legal services for the whole of HMRC. These vacancies are for Review Officers in National Reviews, Mincom and Corporate Services. Review teams are responsible for reviewing appealable decisions made by HMRC, as requested by customers under legislative provisions. Reviews are a vital area of work that help ensure only appropriate disputes escalate to appeal and litigation.

You do not need to have any knowledge or experience of Tax to apply, but you will have an interest in a fair and just tax system within an organisation that collects the tax that pays for all of the UK’s vital public services.

Your analytical skills, coupled with strong verbal and written communication abilities, will be instrumental in conducting thorough reviews of evidence and presenting findings effectively.

Work is both high volume and high paced and the post holder will be required to drive forward improvements in the quality of reviews working collaboratively with a range of key stakeholders both within and outside Legal group.

This is a Tax Professional role, and successful applicants will need to complete a structured learning Tax Routeway course and the Legal groups Quality Assessment Framework (QAF) level 2 for the post to be substantive.

Please see this short video on Role of a Review Officer for further insight as to what the role involves.

We will be holding a Candidate Information Session on Tuesday 3rd November 2026. To register, please click here - Candidate Information Session - Review Officer – Fill in form

Job description

Review Officer duties include:

• Reviewing appealable decisions to ensure they are suitable for litigation in accordance with the Litigation and Settlements Strategy.
• Preparing clear recommendations for countersigning, using a structured review template, setting out points of issue.
• Consulting with customers by phone and written communication to ensure a clear understanding of their arguments before reaching a conclusion.
• Preparation of comprehensive letters to a high standard setting out all relevant law and review conclusions relating to a range of regimes, liability decisions and associated penalties.
• Consulting with key stakeholders to ensure decisions are defended in accordance with HMRC policy and tax law. Addressing all relevant arguments, evidence, case law (Identifying what Statute and case law is applicable), costs and consideration of Alternative Dispute Resolution.
• Listing of all evidence enclosures to support decision.
• Accurate and timely maintenance of Case Management System (CMS) and other relevant HMRC Systems. Ensuring customer computer records effectively safeguard all customer data.
• Collaborating closely with colleagues and management locally and nationally to meet key targets, and help improve our processes, sometimes through participation in project work.
• Manage individual caseload and gain extensions of time if applicable (working within 45-day target).
• Provide technical advice and assistance to customers and colleagues, supporting the delivery of Strategic Objectives and contributing to improving the UK business environment.
• Expected to develop a high level of knowledge, skills and understanding and work as part of an integrated customer-facing team but may also be asked to support colleagues in other parts of Review business and the wider HMRC.

Roles Available

Portsmouth - 4 roles
Edinburgh - 6 roles
Nottingham - 6 roles
Leeds - 6 roles
Newcastle-upon-Tyne - 8 roles
Bristol - 1 role
Cardiff - 1 role

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Strong written communication skills, producing clear, accurate, considered and well structured documentation for a range of audiences.
• Experience of researching, analysing and understanding complex information and consistently applying a wide range of organisational policies and procedures.
• Competence in maintaining accurate records across systems and handling sensitive information appropriately.
• Proven ability to manage a demanding workload, prioritise effectively, and meet deadlines in a fast paced environment.
• Ability to engage effectively with customers or stakeholders to understand their position, analyse evidence objectively, and support or explain decisions clearly.

Further Location Information

Please ensure that you only apply for a location that you are willing and able to work from, as we will only make one offer of employment. Any additional notes included in a ‘Further Location Preferences (optional)’ field within the application form, will not be considered. Please be aware that you cannot change your location preference after submitting your application.

Office closures

For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations.

If your location preference is for one of the following sites, it’s important to note that these are not long-term sites for HMRC and we will require you to move to a new building in the future, subject to our location strategy and the applicable employee policies at that time.

These sites are:

• Benton Park View, Newcastle - moving to Pilgrims Quarter, Newcastle
• Lynx House, Portsmouth – moving to an alternative office in Portsmouth

You will be given more information about what this means at the job offer stage.

Leeds Locations

Moves Adjustment Payment will be available for this role, provided the successful applicant is a current HMRC colleague in Bradford and meets the eligibility requirements outlined in the HMRC’s Moves Adjustment Payment guidance.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,682, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £10,916 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

HMRC operates both Flexible and Hybrid Working policies, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments. We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, considering our operational and customer service needs.

We offer a generous leave allowance, starting at 25 days and increasing by a day for every year of qualifying service up to a maximum of 30 days.

• Pension - We make contributions to our colleagues’ Alpha pension equal to at least 28.97% of their salary.
• Family friendly policies.
• Personal support.
• Coaching and development.

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