
Can ATT qualified individuals join the Tax Specialist Programme (without 2:2 degree)? Or part qualified CTA? Thank you!
Anonymous asked a question to Customer Compliance
Category: Eligibility
Date asked: Thursday, August 7, 2025
Last reviewed: Thursday, August 7, 2025
Prudencia O.
Tax Professional Manager (Grade 6)
According to HMRC’s guidance for the Tax Specialist Programme (TSP)
- You must have a 2:2 university degree or an equivalent Level 6 qualification
- If you are already a civil servant, the degree requirement is waived.
So, regarding your question:
- If you're ATT qualified or part-qualified CTA, these are not automatically considered equivalent to a Level 6 qualification (which is the level of a bachelor's degree).
- However, if you believe your qualifications might be equivalent, it could be worth contacting the TSP recruitment team directly at [email protected]. They’ll be able to confirm whether your qualifications can be considered equivalent to a Level 6 degree or whether they would accept it as a substitute.
Thursday, August 7, 2025
Mustafa
Assistant Director, Compliance Strategy
Prudencia advice is spot on if you wish to apply for the Tax Specialist Programme.
However, with your tax qualification you might be eligible for direct recruitment into HMRC as an experienced tax adviser, so not have to go through another training schedule again. There are regular adverts posted on Civil Service Jobs (or follow one of the HMRC recruits on LinkedIn as they have been active on their advertising for experienced tax advisers) so do keep an eye out and read the requirements as I can't recall which qualifications we require for each type of role or tax regime.
Thursday, August 7, 2025
Anonymous
Thank you both, much appreciated!
Thursday, August 7, 2025