Connecting Talent to opportunity

Connecting Talent to opportunity

Senior Policy & Technical Advisor – Direct Tax – Insurance

Expired

Job Description:

Summary Do you have the tax knowledge and commercial experience to fill this vital exciting role?

Brief Role Overview

We are the BAI (Business, Assets and International) Directorate in HMRC. We are looking for a fully qualified direct tax professional with commercial experience of the insurance industry. You will play a pivotal role in developing tax policy and providing technical advice on issues impacting the UK's world-leading insurance sector.

We have an exciting opportunity to join the Financial Products and Services Team (FPST) as a Senior Policy and Technical Advisor. You will work alongside the Insurance Policy and Technical Lead and help develop several other Advisors. The postholder will complement the team by bringing their commercial knowledge, perspective and experience of the insurance industry. To learn more about our benefits package, which has been recently updated, please see "HMRC Benefits" link below..

About HMRC

HMRC is the UK’s tax, payments and customs authority. It is one of the largest government departments and one of the country’s largest organisations. Almost every individual and business in the UK is a direct customer of ours.

We have a vital purpose: to collect the money that pays for public services and help families and individuals with targeted financial support. We are effective, efficient and impartial. We collect in excess of £600 billion a year in revenue.

We have embarked on a major transformational programme to redirect more of our people and resources to compliance activities, modernising systems and re-engineering processes to become more customer focused.

At HMRC we are committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues: an inclusive and respectful environment that reflects the diversity of the society we serve.

We want to maximise the potential of everyone who chooses to work for us and we offer a range of flexible working patterns and support to make a fulfilling career at HMRC accessible to you. Job description About BAI

BAI is a key directorate at the heart of government tax policy making and is HMRC’s centre of expertise for business and international taxation, as well as for capital assets. We advise on policy measures and legislation with the objectives of raising revenue, promoting growth, strengthening global relationships and tackling tax avoidance and unfair outcomes.

Through our product ownership we work to improve the tax system to help deliver HMRC’s strategic objectives. BAI has an excellent track record in providing opportunities for career progression. Working in BAI will give you the opportunity to develop valuable skills that will stand you in good stead throughout your career.

Responsibilities You will play a pivotal role in tax policy and technical issues for life insurers and will also be involved in aspects of taxation of general insurance companies, policyholders and the Lloyd's insurance market. In addition to responsibilities for the specific life insurance tax product, the postholder will also have a responsibility for monitoring and dealing with the implications of general changes to the tax system where these impact on the insurance sector. The role often provides novel and stimulating issues to consider, in the context of an economically significant sector that is continually evolving.

Successful applicants will engage frequently with both external stakeholders (representative bodies, regulators, advisers, larger customers) and internal stakeholders (HM Treasury, Large Business, Wealthy & Mid-Size Business Compliance, Knowledge Analysis & Intelligence, Solicitor’s Office and the Office of Parliamentary Counsel).

As part of this role, you will have opportunities to:

• advise ministers and HM Treasury on tax policy

• contribute to budgets and other fiscal events

• lead the development of new legislation, up to and including its passage through Parliament.

• run public consultations to support policymaking

• work with senior industry representatives, their advisers and with other external partners to understand and tackle policy issues

• represent HMRC externally on relevant policy issues

• provide technical advice to colleagues across HMRC and externally on complex tax issues

• provide technical leadership on major tax disputes, up to and including litigation in court

• promote knowledge and understanding of insurance taxation across the department

• develop your own professional/personal skills and competencies whilst helping junior staff develop theirs

We are looking for someone who:

• is a collaborative leader, team-focused whilst establishing and developing effective working relationships within HMRC and externally

• will always look to contribute to the development of the team and wider BAI

• possesses or will develop relevant technical knowledge and policy skills whilst being comfortable working on complex and detailed tax issue and who will use their commercial experience to identify:-

- where there is genuine commercial and growth advantage from particular proposals for policy change

- the tax risks from certain courses of action and help consider how to address them

- loopholes in the current rules and help to close them in a manner that does not undermine genuine commercial activity

Essential Criteria

• tax technical knowledge of the specific UK life insurance tax regime and of international rules as they apply to life insurers, and

• a sound commercial understanding of the life insurance sector Qualifications One or more of the following qualifications

• HMRC's Tax Specialist Programme or predecessor qualifications (TPDP, IDP, ITS2, CPT, FT2)

• Chartered Tax Adviser (with direct taxes options)

• Advanced Diploma in International Taxation

• full membership of one of the Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies (ICAEW, ICAS, CAI, ACCA, CIPFA), provided that direct tax matters make up a substantial part of your professional experience

• qualification as a Solicitor, Barrister or CILEX Lawyer (including the Professional stage Business and Commercial Law module) in England and Wales (or equivalents in Scotland and Northern Ireland), provided that direct tax matters make up a substantial part of your professional experience

• equivalent qualifications, to be considered on a case-by-case basis as evidence of completing tax training
  • Job Type

    Permanent, Full Time

  • Additional Salary Info

    London (£70,603 - £79,588)

  • Work Authorisation

    No

  • Industry Sector Public Sector & Services