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

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.
In your local area

What's it all about?

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.

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?

  • 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 of tax regulations
  • customer service skills
  • the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
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