HMRC chief executive Jon Thompson has announced that the department will shortly begin recruitment for a second permanent secretary ahead of executive chair Edward Troup’s retirement at the end of 2017.
In a statement released yesterday, Thompson said he had got approval from both the Cabinet Office and the Treasury to advertise the post, which will lead the department’s work on Brexit as well as be the department’s tax assurance commissioner.
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Currently, Troup is the department’s executive chair and permanent secretary and, as the government’s most senior tax professional, oversees the department’s relationship with Treasury and provides tax policy advice to ministers. Thompson is responsible for delivering the department’s strategy, including its transformation programme to move many staff into hubs around the country, and is the department’s accounting officer. Both have held these posts since April 2016.
Thompson said that throughout HMRC’s history, there has been two senior figures in the department in order for there to be a specific focus on tax as well as on the organisation itself.
“I propose continuing this tradition with the appointment of a second permanent secretary to lead our work on tax, fiscal events and to be the tax assurance commissioner,” he said. “They will also lead on Brexit, which will continue to grow in importance over the next few years.”
Due to the level of tax policy expertise and knowledge of the UK tax system required, the post will be limited to existing civil servants, and Thompson said he hoped to announce the new appointment before the end of this year.