HMRC announces modernisation programme in the North West

NEW, modern regional centres in Liverpool and Manchester underline HMRC's long term commitment to the region.  HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has announced the next step in its 10 year modernisation programme to create a Tax Authority fit for the future, committing to high quality jobs and the creation of 2 new regional centres in Liverpool and Manchester by 2019 to 2020.

This supports the Government's commitment to building a:- 'Northern Powerhouse', with the north having around 40% of HMRC staff located there by 2020 to 2021 with between 8,400 and 9,000 full time equivalent employees in the North West.

The modernisation programme, now at the halfway point, includes investment in new online services, data analytics, new compliance techniques, new skills and new ways of working, to make it easier for the honest majority of customers to pay their Tax, including by improving customer service, and harder for the dishonest minority to cheat the system. The changes have already resulted in over 80% of people filing their Self Assessment returns online and given customers new, simple ways to check their payments, make changes or find answers to questions.

HMRC's workforce in the region is currently spread throughout 24 offices, many of which are a legacy of the 1960's and 1970's, which range in size from around 1770 people to fewer than 15. By bringing them together in large, modern offices, equipped with digital infrastructure and training facilities, HMRC will support more skilled jobs and varied career paths up to senior levels with less need to move around the country. HMRC expects between 2,800 and 3,100 full time equivalent employees to work in the Liverpool regional centre and between 5,600 and 5,900 full time equivalent employees to work in the Manchester centre.

HMRC will close most of its existing offices in the North West by 2020 to 2021, as it moves most employees into the new regional centres.

Where offices are a long way from a regional centre and it is not possible for employees to move to work in 1, HMRC will do everything it reasonably can to help them to find new roles, either elsewhere in the Civil Service, or outside, in order to minimise redundancies.

Lin Homer, HMRC's Chief Executive, said:- "HMRC is committed to modern, regional centres serving every region and nation in the UK, with skilled and varied jobs and development opportunities, while also ensuring jobs are spread throughout the UK and not concentrated in the capital.  HMRC has too many expensive, isolated and outdated offices. This makes it difficult for us to collaborate, modernise our ways of working, and make the changes we need to transform our service to customers and clamp down further on the minority who try to cheat the system. The new regional centres in Liverpool and Manchester will bring our staff together in more modern and cost effective buildings in areas with lower rents. They will also make a big contribution to the economy of the North West region providing high quality, skilled jobs and supporting the Government's commitment to a national recovery that benefits all parts of the UK."

The changes will enable HMRC to give customers the modern services they now expect at a lower cost to the Taxpayer, meeting the Government's challenge for all departments to do more with less.