Forensic Accountant

ACCA Careers; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 59,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Civil Service pension

Flexible and Hybrid working

Generous leave allowance (25–30 days)

Job summary

HM Revenue and Customs is seeking a Forensic Accountant to provide independent accounting advice relating to criminal investigations and anti-money laundering interventions. You will explain financial transactions to investigators, lawyers and the courts, and prepare concise analyses for court proceedings.

You will support litigation as an expert witness and contribute to high-profile tax fraud cases nationwide.

Qualifications

• Strong financial accounting experience in practice, industry, public or private sector.
• Commercial knowledge and understanding of how businesses operate.
• Excellent digital skills including Excel for complex analysis.
• Attention to detail and precise analytical abilities.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
• Mandatory accountancy qualifications and memberships are required.

Responsibilities

• Provide objective, independent accounting advice relating to criminal and civil investigations and anti-money laundering interventions.
• Explain financial and accounting transactions to investigators, lawyers and the courts.
• Prepare and review professional reports with factual and opinion evidence for case conferences and court proceedings.
• Support litigation as expert witness or witness of fact in prosecutions or PoCA interventions.
• Share knowledge and provide quality accountancy training to colleagues and tax professionals.

Skills

Financial accounting

Commercial knowledge

Excel

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Accountancy qualifications

Education

ICAEW

ICAS

CAI

ACCA

CIMA

CIPFA

Job description

HMRC

Location

Bristol Regional Centre - 3 Glass Wharf

Cardiff Regional Centre - Ty William Morgan

Croydon - Ruskin Square

Liverpool Regional Centre - Water Street

Manchester Regional Centre - Three New Bailey

Ipswich - Brooke Lawrance House

Portsmouth - Lynx House

Stratford Regional Centre - Westfield Avenue

National £58,541 - £64,624

London £65,869 - £72,711

Rule keepers - begin your compliance journey.

Do you want to showcase your accountancy expertise to UK Criminal courts?

Do you want to be part of a team where flexible working is the norm?

If the answer is Yes, then we can offer you a leadership role with your work principally providing independent accountancy opinion on HMRCFraud Investigation Service (FIS) cases. FIS is responsible for both civil and criminal investigations in tackling the most serious tax evasion and fraud.

Our Forensic Accountants enjoy a wide range of work, primarily relating to criminal prosecutions and anti-fraud interventions. You will play an active role in high-profile issues and ultimately your work will touch the lives of everyone in the UK.

Some experience of forensic accounting, money laundering issues and illicit finance issues would be beneficial to the role.

Job Description

As a Forensic Accountant you will give objective, independent and professional advice relating to criminal investigations and anti-money laundering interventions. We want you to use your knowledge and experience to understand and explain financial and accounting transactions to investigators, lawyers and the courts.

You will provide clear and concise analysis of relevant accounting, financial and transactional information to communicate complex financial issues to non-accountants including investigation teams, lawyers and the courts.

You will demonstrate your ability to utilise your accounting knowledge and commercial experience to identify risks, critically assess financial evidence and provide expert opinion.

You will support litigation, acting as an expert witness or witness of fact and will proactively assist others involved in criminal prosecutions or civil investigations of tax fraud and Proceeds of Crime Act (PoCA) interventions including confiscation orders and cash seizures. You will prepare and review professional reports with both factual and opinion evidence, attend case conferences, meetings and court, acting with professionalism, integrity and independence.

Our team undertakes regular Continuing Professional Development. We will provide you with opportunities to share knowledge, develop and provide quality accountancy training to both colleagues and tax professionals.

Person specification

The Successful Candidate Will

• Provide objective and independent accounting advice relating to criminal and civil investigations and anti-money laundering interventions, including acting as an independent expert witness.
• Support activities targeting alcohol, supply chain and duty evasion fraud utilising your commercial experience.
• Communicate with and advise internal and external stakeholders.
• Develop, support and provide quality bespoke accountancy training to key partners.
• Coach and mentor colleagues.
• Share knowledge and best practice, using innovative methods and digital tools.
• Demonstrate expertise, experience, and authority to credibly engage with courts, tribunals, accountants, colleagues, customers, and senior HMRC officers.

Essential Criteria

The candidate will have strong financial accounting experience gained in practice, industry, public sector or private sector and specifically including:

• Experience of analysing and interpreting a range of financial records, of preparing or reviewing financial statements and of considering the appropriate accounting treatment of a variety of specific transactions (applying UK GAAP).
• Commercial knowledge and an understanding of how businesses operate including accounting systems.
• Excellent digital skills including the ability to use Excel and other tools for complex analysis.
• Attention to detail and precise analytical skills; ability to review information, figuresand calculations thoroughly to draw clear, concise conclusions and accurately identify accountancy risks.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to produce high quality written outputs.
• Mandatory Accountancy Qualifications and memberships are required for this role (see below for details).

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of Forensic accounting, Money Laundering issues and Illicit Finance issues would be beneficial to the role.

Further Location Information

Please ensure that you only apply for a location that you are willing and able to work from, as we will only make one offer of employment. Any additional notes included in a ‘Further Location Preferences (optional)’ field within the application form, will not be considered. Please be aware that you cannot change your location preference after submitting your application.

Office Closures

If your location preference is for the following site, it’s important to note that this is not long-term site for HMRC and we will require you to move to a new building in the future, subject to our location strategy and the applicable employee policies at that time.

This Site Is

• Lynx House, Portsmouth – moving to an alternative office in Portsmouth.

Qualifications

You must already have full and complete qualification from and continuing membership of one of the following professional accounting bodies:

• The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW)
• The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS)
• Chartered Accountants Ireland (CAI)
• The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
• The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)
• The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA)

Please Note:Part qualified accountants are not eligible for these posts.

Behaviours

• Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

• Technical statement will be required at application stage.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £58,541, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £16,959 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

HMRC operates both Flexible and Hybrid Working policies, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments. We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, considering our operational and customer service needs.

We offer a generous leave allowance, starting at 25 days and increasing by a day for every year of qualifying service up to a maximum of 30 days.

• Pension - We make contributions to our colleagues’ Alpha pension equal to at least 28.97% of their salary.
• Family friendly policies.
• Personal support.
• Coaching and development.

Things you need to know Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

Hybrid working at HMRC

HMRC is an office-based organisation, and colleagues are expected to spend 60% of their working time in the office. Our offices provide opportunity for interaction, collaboration which aids learning and development and a sense of community. Where the role allows it, and where the home environment is suitable, colleagues can work from home for up to 2 days a week, averaged over a calendar month (or a proportionate amount of time for colleagues who work less than full time).