Sam C.

From AO in the DHSS to SO tax technical advisor in HMRC via the CPS

I began in the Department of Health and Social Security (now the DWP) as an AO and following the rapid completion of an A level in law I transferred to the CPS where I was a criminal caseworker for over 20 years. During the last 8 years of my CPS life I worked in a specialist unit prosecuting serious and organised criminal groups, and would spend months at courts throughout the north west, working with a team of Police and Barristers during the criminal trial process. It was a demanding role, but I got a great sense of achievement with this work especially when successful prosecutions were the result. I moved on promotion to HMRC in 2015 working in Solicitors Office, litigating at tax tribunals on behalf of the department. I decided to do this as I felt was a natural transition from spending a lot of time in courts- I wanted to see what it was like being on my feet before a Tribunal and see if I could do it! I was then promoted to SO as a tax technical advisor, specifically on VAT. This was another natural progression for me following litigation work as I really like understanding and interpreting legislation and ensuring HMRC guidance reflects the tax framework. During my civil service career I was also a swimming coach between the early 90s and 2013. I also became involved with Transplant Sport UK, an organisation which works to support and promote organ donation. I was the team swimming coach, travelling all round the world to World Transplant Games, managing and supporting the team in their medal hunting endeavours, a job I got a lot out of!

VAT technical advisor

I work in the Tax Administration Litigation and Advice team within Customer Strategy and Tax Design. My work involves providing specialist advice to other groups within HMRC and my team leads on litigation on the Tax Administration Framework. The Framework incorporates the policies, legislation, case law, guidance and practices that allow HMRC to administer taxes and benefits efficiently. Part of my role is to draft guidance on those areas which we are responsible for, for example, I am currently drafting guidance for the new penalties which will replace VAT default surcharges in 2023. I provide advice to colleagues who have questions on how to interpret the framework in the context of a situation they may have, and I also support colleagues on COVID scheme work.

Working with my colleagues to give the correct advice

My main role is to respond accurately to questions that colleagues from other departments within HMRC may have in interpreting legislation and guidance. They may have come across a situation that is unique and are struggling to find an answer on how to deal with it in the correct way. The guidance that is available, together with the legislation and caselaw just may explain their situation and so they raise an enquiry with my team. Should the subject matter be something I lead on, for example securities for tax, then I will check to see if we have had a similar question before which will enable me to answer quickly. If this is not the case, then I will go through the various guidance, notes and legislation to prepare an accurate response. This part of my job I really enjoy as some of the legislation can be complex and difficult to read. I have a time limit in which to prepare a response to ensure things don't drag on or get forgotten about in a busy environment, so planning work around enquiries is crucial. By providing accurate responses, it supports and develops colleagues knowledge base so hopefully avoiding repeat questions on the same topic, which is also an important role of my department.

Read the job description then read it again slowly- is this for you?

A job can sound great from the headline, but read the description properly and think carefully if this is a good first job on a ladder of progression or could it be the next one on your way onwards and upwards? Ask yourself what are your strengths? What am I good at? What needs working on? Where do I want to go and how am I going to get there? If you aren't actually too sure where the path may lead, don't overly worry yourself, picking up skills and knowledge in any job is always a good thing. The trick is to know what you have and what you need next. You may have good experience in one area of work, but you need some experience in another to move forward, so sometime a sideways move can work too! I did a sideways temporary move in to VAT import policy as I wanted to understand how it fitted with my litigation work and how policy was developed. I did this for 7 months and it gave me insight in to how things like ministerial submissions were drafted and how communication with stakeholders was so important in this. I used this experience to further my knowledge and it helped me do a better job application for my current role as it demonstrated I was willing to stretch and develop myself. Keep trying and learn from any feedback you are given- it can be very useful ! Good luck!

Receiving a Chief Constables commendation & coach to GB athletes

This sticks out as it involved sending a group of criminals to prison for over 100 years and the effort I put in with my team was huge. I have had some good litigation results and even though you can lose sometimes, I stayed positive and learnt from it. The work I have the greatest sense of personal achievement for is definitely being a swimming coach for a group of athletes who have overcome massive physical and emotional challenges following an organ transplant. The pride of watching someone overcome so many things in their lives to reach the pinnacle of their sport is huge. Helping and supporting them to believe in themselves has been one of my greatest achievements. All the years of coaching swimming at all levels has left me with a desire to teach and pass on knowledge, and I try to do this in my job in HMRC.