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<div style="background:#eef3fb;color:#303846;border:1px solid #c9d7ee;border-radius:12px;padding:14px 18px;margin:0 0 18px"><p style="margin:0;font-size:14px;line-height:1.6"><strong style="color:#171d29">Checked 22 October 2026.</strong> Dates are for the 2027 cohort only, from HMRC's candidate guide and job page read 21 Oct 2026. Check your invitations and the emails Civil Service Jobs sends you for the deadlines that apply to you. After 26 Oct 2026 this campaign is closed to new applicants.</p></div>

<div style="background:#fff8e8;color:#3a3020;border:1px solid #f0d9a8;border-left:4px solid #b7791f;border-radius:12px;padding:16px 20px;margin:0 0 18px"><p style="margin:0 0 6px;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.08em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#b7791f">Where the 2027 campaign stands</p><p style="margin:0;line-height:1.65"><strong>Applications for the 2027 Tax Specialist Programme closed on 26 October 2026, and the Stage 1 Verbal and Numerical tests were due by 11:30am on 28 October 2026.</strong> Candidates who progress from Stage 1 will be invited to the Civil Service Judgement Test, open from <strong>4 November to 11:30am on 10 November 2026</strong>. The Civil Service Styles Assessment opens on 18 November 2026 and closes at 11:30am on 30 November 2026.</p></div>

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">HMRC's Tax Specialist Programme (TSP) is a 3 to 4 year paid training scheme that turns graduates and existing civil servants into tax specialists. You do not need any tax knowledge or a finance degree to apply. In our view the hardest part of applying is not the form but the calendar: four selection stages, each with its own fixed window, and the first test deadline, 11:30am on 28 October, falls 48 hours after the earlier application closing time (35 hours 35 minutes after the later one). This guide sets out the 2027 campaign from HMRC's candidate guide and job page and the GOV.UK test guidance, what each stage tests, how HMRC decides who moves on, and the location choice on the form, which you cannot normally change later. ProSyllabus is an independent study site, not part of HMRC, the Civil Service or Civil Service Jobs. Every rule and date here is quoted or summarised from the official HMRC, Civil Service Careers and GOV.UK sources listed at the foot of the page, including HMRC's 2027 candidate guide.</p>

<div style="display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:10px;margin:18px 0"><div style="flex:1 1 140px;background:#fbfaf6;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:10px;padding:12px 14px"><div style="font-size:24px;font-weight:800;color:#171d29;line-height:1.2">26 Oct 2026</div><div style="font-size:13px;color:#5b6472;line-height:1.4;margin-top:4px">applications closed</div></div><div style="flex:1 1 140px;background:#fbfaf6;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:10px;padding:12px 14px"><div style="font-size:24px;font-weight:800;color:#171d29;line-height:1.2">28 Oct, 11:30am</div><div style="font-size:13px;color:#5b6472;line-height:1.4;margin-top:4px">Verbal and Numerical tests must be submitted</div></div><div style="flex:1 1 140px;background:#fbfaf6;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:10px;padding:12px 14px"><div style="font-size:24px;font-weight:800;color:#171d29;line-height:1.2">4 stages</div><div style="font-size:13px;color:#5b6472;line-height:1.4;margin-top:4px">online tests, Judgement Test, Styles Assessment, assessment centre</div></div><div style="flex:1 1 140px;background:#fbfaf6;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:10px;padding:12px 14px"><div style="font-size:24px;font-weight:800;color:#171d29;line-height:1.2">1 location</div><div style="font-size:13px;color:#5b6472;line-height:1.4;margin-top:4px">chosen on the form; it stays with you throughout the recruitment process</div></div></div><p style="margin:12px 0 0;font-size:13px;color:#5b6472;margin:-8px 0 18px">HMRC TSP 2027 Recruitment Process Candidate Guide and job page, read 21 Oct 2026.</p>

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">HMRC's candidate guide opens with a recruitment timeline. The online test windows all close at 11:30am, and the guide says of lateness: <em>"Late applications and assessments cannot be accepted."</em> If you miss a test deadline, <em>"your application will be withdrawn"</em>.</p>

<figure style="background:#ffffff;color:#303846;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:12px;padding:18px 20px;margin:18px 0;margin:18px 0"><figcaption style="margin:0 0 10px;font-size:17px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29">TSP 2027: from application to assessment centre</figcaption><div style="display:flex;gap:14px;align-items:flex-start;margin:0 0 14px"><div style="flex:0 0 14px;margin-top:5px;width:14px;height:14px;border-radius:50%;background:#b7791f"></div><div><div style="font-size:13px;font-weight:700;color:#5b6472">9 Oct 2026</div><div style="font-size:16px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29;line-height:1.4">Applications open on Civil Service Jobs</div><div style="font-size:13px;color:#5b6472;line-height:1.5">Reference 484623 (the number in the candidate guide's reopen email subject line)</div></div></div><div style="display:flex;gap:14px;align-items:flex-start;margin:0 0 14px"><div style="flex:0 0 14px;margin-top:5px;width:14px;height:14px;border-radius:50%;background:#b7791f"></div><div><div style="font-size:13px;font-weight:700;color:#5b6472">26 Oct 2026</div><div style="font-size:16px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29;line-height:1.4">Applications close</div><div style="font-size:13px;color:#5b6472;line-height:1.5">11:55pm in the timeline table; 11:30am in the Stage 1 section</div></div></div><div style="display:flex;gap:14px;align-items:flex-start;margin:0 0 14px"><div style="flex:0 0 14px;margin-top:5px;width:14px;height:14px;border-radius:50%;background:#1f7a45"></div><div><div style="font-size:13px;font-weight:700;color:#5b6472">By 28 Oct 2026, 11:30am</div><div style="font-size:16px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29;line-height:1.4">Stage 1: Verbal Test, then Numerical Test</div><div style="font-size:13px;color:#5b6472;line-height:1.5">The Numerical invite follows a pass at the Verbal</div></div></div><div style="display:flex;gap:14px;align-items:flex-start;margin:0 0 14px"><div style="flex:0 0 14px;margin-top:5px;width:14px;height:14px;border-radius:50%;background:#1f7a45"></div><div><div style="font-size:13px;font-weight:700;color:#5b6472">4 to 10 Nov 2026</div><div style="font-size:16px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29;line-height:1.4">Stage 2: Civil Service Judgement Test</div><div style="font-size:13px;color:#5b6472;line-height:1.5">Closes 11:30am on 10 Nov</div></div></div><div style="display:flex;gap:14px;align-items:flex-start;margin:0 0 14px"><div style="flex:0 0 14px;margin-top:5px;width:14px;height:14px;border-radius:50%;background:#1f7a45"></div><div><div style="font-size:13px;font-weight:700;color:#5b6472">18 to 30 Nov 2026</div><div style="font-size:16px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29;line-height:1.4">Stage 3: Civil Service Styles Assessment</div><div style="font-size:13px;color:#5b6472;line-height:1.5">Closes 11:30am on 30 Nov</div></div></div><div style="display:flex;gap:14px;align-items:flex-start;margin:0 0 0px"><div style="flex:0 0 14px;margin-top:5px;width:14px;height:14px;border-radius:50%;background:#1f7a45"></div><div><div style="font-size:13px;font-weight:700;color:#5b6472">25 Jan to 19 Feb 2027</div><div style="font-size:16px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29;line-height:1.4">Stage 4: face-to-face assessment centre</div><div style="font-size:13px;color:#5b6472;line-height:1.5">Half a day, in person only</div></div></div><p style="margin:12px 0 0;font-size:13px;color:#5b6472">From HMRC's TSP 2027 Recruitment Process Candidate Guide, read 21 Oct 2026. The online test windows close at 11:30am. The application close is printed as both 11:55pm and 11:30am; assessment-centre session times come with the invitation. HMRC: "Late applications and assessments cannot be accepted."</p></figure>

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">Two points to note. First, the gap between the application deadline and the Stage 1 test deadline is two days. How much time you have depends on when you apply: the test deadline is 48 hours after the earlier stated application close, or 35 hours 35 minutes after the later one, and the Numerical Test invitation only arrives after a pass at the Verbal Test. (If Civil Service Jobs finds an applicable banked score from another recent application, GOV.UK says you are not invited to that test again.) Second, the assessment centre is in late January and February 2027, roughly three to four months after you apply, and it is in person only. HMRC's application checklist asks you to confirm before applying that <em>"you can attend the advertised face-to-face assessment centre dates if invited"</em>.</p>

<div style="background:#ffffff;color:#303846;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:12px;padding:18px 20px;margin:18px 0"><h3 style="margin:0 0 10px;font-size:17px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29">The 2027 deadline is 26 October 2026, not January</h3><ul style="margin:0;padding-left:20px"><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6">HMRC's careers site, Civil Service Careers and the 2027 candidate guide all give 9 to 26 October 2026 for this campaign.</li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6">GOV.UK's own TSP page was last updated in December 2023 and describes the 2024 campaign, which closed on 10 January 2024.</li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6">Use the 2027 candidate guide and the emails from Civil Service Jobs for dates, not the 2023 page.</li></ul></div>

The four stages and what each one measures

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">The 2027 campaign has four stages. The first three are online; the fourth is a half-day, face-to-face assessment centre. All the online tests are Civil Service tests run through Civil Service Jobs, so the same official GOV.UK guidance that covers them for any other job applies here.</p>

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">After you submit the form you are invited to the Civil Service Verbal Test, unless an applicable banked score is reused (the same exception applies to the Numerical Test). In the candidate guide's words: <em>"If you meet the minimum standard, you will be invited to complete the Civil Service Numerical Test."</em> Both are untimed but must be submitted before 11:30am on 28 October 2026. HMRC's own tip is to <em>"complete the tests within 24 to 48 hours of receiving your invitation"</em>. GOV.UK describes the format: in the Verbal Test you read a passage and decide whether a statement is true, false or cannot say; in the Numerical Test you read graphs or tables and choose the correct answer. Both adapt to your answers, and you cannot skip or go back. The <a href="/hub/hmrc-tax-specialist-programme-online-tests" style="color:#255a45;font-weight:600">online tests guide</a> covers both in detail.</p>

Stage 2: the Civil Service Judgement Test

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">Candidates who progress from Stage 1 are invited to the CSJT, which is open from 4 to 10 November 2026. GOV.UK says it has two parts: a self-assessment of your typical behaviour and preferences, which makes up 15% of the score, and workplace scenarios in which you rate each possible action as Counterproductive, Ineffective, Fairly Effective or Effective. You receive an automatically generated feedback report afterwards.</p>

Stage 3: the Civil Service Styles Assessment

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">From 18 to 30 November 2026, candidates who progress from Stage 2 take the Styles Assessment, unless an applicable banked score is reused. GOV.UK describes 276 pairs of statements; for each pair you say which is more like you, and by how much. HMRC says it measures all nine Civil Service Behaviours. It is a self-report: GOV.UK says to answer as you really feel rather than try to second guess the "right" answer. It has its own guide: <a href="/hub/civil-service-styles-assessment" style="color:#255a45;font-weight:600">the Civil Service Styles Assessment, explained</a>.</p>

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">The final stage is a half-day assessment centre between 25 January and 19 February 2027. HMRC says it <em>"will consist of three exercises and assess four key Civil Service Behaviours"</em>, and that full information comes with your invitation. The candidate guide and job page do not name the four behaviours or describe the three exercises, and we do not guess. The job page adds that during the campaign <em>"you'll be tested against all 9 Behaviours, during the CS Styles Assessment, 4 of which will be additionally tested if you are invited to the final assessment centre."</em></p>

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">HMRC says there is no remote option: <em>"The assessment centre is delivered in person. Remote attendance options are not available."</em> Its FAQ adds that centres run on fixed dates with limited capacity, and that <em>"alternative dates cannot normally be offered"</em>. Reasonable adjustments are considered, but <em>"Assessment dates, times or locations are not considered reasonable adjustments."</em></p>

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">The candidate guide and job page give no numerical pass mark for any stage. Three rules from the candidate guide shape every decision:</p>

<div style="background:#ffffff;color:#303846;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:12px;padding:18px 20px;margin:18px 0"><h3 style="margin:0 0 10px;font-size:17px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29">Progression rules, as HMRC states them</h3><ul style="margin:0;padding-left:20px"><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6">"You must achieve the required standard at each assessment stage." Meeting it "does not automatically guarantee progression to the next stage."</li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6">"Depending on application volumes, we may increase pass marks at any stage of the campaign." If that happens, HMRC tells you whether you met the revised standard.</li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6">"Applications are assessed separately for each advertised location, so the score required to progress may vary between locations."</li></ul><p style="margin:12px 0 0;font-size:13px;color:#5b6472">Civil Service tests report a percentile against a comparison group of applicants. The bar for the same stage can differ between Leeds and Stratford.</p></div>

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">You choose <strong>one</strong> location on the form, and <em>"Your chosen location will remain with you throughout the recruitment process."</em> Because each location is assessed separately, the competition you face is the competition for that location. The 2024 campaign worked the same way: its GOV.UK page described <em>"Fourteen individual merit lists"</em>, one per regional centre.</p>

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">HMRC's advice on choosing is practical, not tactical: <em>"Only select a location that you would be able to travel to and work from if successful."</em> Its FAQ answers the obvious follow-up directly: the location <em>"cannot normally be changed during the recruitment process."</em> Trainees work from an HMRC office for at least 60% of their working time, so choose a location you can realistically travel to and work from on that basis.</p>

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">HMRC's guide asks candidates to check six things before submitting, and to check the eligibility and support answers carefully because <em>"Incorrect information may affect how your application is processed."</em> If you make a mistake, it asks you to email volumespecialistrecruitment@hmrc.gov.uk with the subject line <em>"Request to reopen my application: 484623, Tax Specialist Programme 2027"</em>, and warns that it may not be able to reopen an application if the request arrives <em>"fewer than two working days before the vacancy closes"</em>. With the close on 26 October, two working days before it is 22 October 2026 (our count).</p>

<div style="background:#ffffff;color:#303846;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:12px;padding:18px 20px;margin:18px 0" id="tsp-apply"><h3 style="margin:0 0 10px;font-size:17px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29">Your TSP 2027 application checklist</h3><p style="margin:0 0 12px;line-height:1.6">Tick each item as you settle it. The first six are HMRC's own checklist; the last three are the deadlines that follow.</p><div style="background:#f1eee6;border-radius:6px;height:12px;overflow:hidden;margin:0 0 6px"><div id="tsp-apply-bar" style="width:0%;height:12px;background:#1f7a45"></div></div><p id="tsp-apply-txt" style="margin:0 0 14px;font-size:13px;color:#5b6472">0 of 9 done</p><div style="margin:0 0 12px" data-g="0"><div style="font-weight:700;color:#171d29;margin:0 0 6px">Before you submit (HMRC checklist) <span data-gc="0" style="font-weight:600;color:#5b6472;font-size:13px">(0/6)</span></div><label style="display:flex;gap:8px;align-items:flex-start;margin:0 0 6px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;color:#303846;cursor:pointer"><input type="checkbox" data-i="0" style="margin-top:4px;width:16px;height:16px;flex:0 0 auto"> <span>I meet the eligibility requirements (degree route or civil servant route)</span></label><label style="display:flex;gap:8px;align-items:flex-start;margin:0 0 6px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;color:#303846;cursor:pointer"><input type="checkbox" data-i="1" style="margin-top:4px;width:16px;height:16px;flex:0 0 auto"> <span>I have chosen a location I can travel to and work from</span></label><label style="display:flex;gap:8px;align-items:flex-start;margin:0 0 6px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;color:#303846;cursor:pointer"><input type="checkbox" data-i="2" style="margin-top:4px;width:16px;height:16px;flex:0 0 auto"> <span>I have read every recruitment date</span></label><label style="display:flex;gap:8px;align-items:flex-start;margin:0 0 6px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;color:#303846;cursor:pointer"><input type="checkbox" data-i="3" style="margin-top:4px;width:16px;height:16px;flex:0 0 auto"> <span>I can attend an in-person assessment centre between 25 Jan and 19 Feb 2027</span></label><label style="display:flex;gap:8px;align-items:flex-start;margin:0 0 6px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;color:#303846;cursor:pointer"><input type="checkbox" data-i="4" style="margin-top:4px;width:16px;height:16px;flex:0 0 auto"> <span>I have requested any reasonable adjustments I need</span></label><label style="display:flex;gap:8px;align-items:flex-start;margin:0 0 6px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;color:#303846;cursor:pointer"><input type="checkbox" data-i="5" style="margin-top:4px;width:16px;height:16px;flex:0 0 auto"> <span>Everything on my form is accurate</span></label></div><div style="margin:0 0 12px" data-g="1"><div style="font-weight:700;color:#171d29;margin:0 0 6px">After you submit <span data-gc="1" style="font-weight:600;color:#5b6472;font-size:13px">(0/3)</span></div><label style="display:flex;gap:8px;align-items:flex-start;margin:0 0 6px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;color:#303846;cursor:pointer"><input type="checkbox" data-i="6" style="margin-top:4px;width:16px;height:16px;flex:0 0 auto"> <span>Verbal Test, then Numerical Test (any I am invited to), submitted before 11:30am on 28 Oct 2026</span></label><label style="display:flex;gap:8px;align-items:flex-start;margin:0 0 6px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;color:#303846;cursor:pointer"><input type="checkbox" data-i="7" style="margin-top:4px;width:16px;height:16px;flex:0 0 auto"> <span>Judgement Test (if invited) submitted before 11:30am on 10 Nov 2026</span></label><label style="display:flex;gap:8px;align-items:flex-start;margin:0 0 6px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5;color:#303846;cursor:pointer"><input type="checkbox" data-i="8" style="margin-top:4px;width:16px;height:16px;flex:0 0 auto"> <span>Styles Assessment (if invited) submitted before 11:30am on 30 Nov 2026</span></label></div><p style="margin:12px 0 0;font-size:13px;color:#5b6472">Ticks are saved only in this browser on this device.</p><script>(function(){var R=document.getElementById('tsp-apply');if(!R)return;var K='psHmrcTspApply_v1',N=9,bx=R.querySelectorAll('input[type=checkbox]'),s={};try{s=JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem(K)||'{}')}catch(e){}function up(){var d=0;for(var i=0;i<bx.length;i++){if(bx[i].checked)d++;}document.getElementById('tsp-apply-bar').style.width=(d/N*100)+'%';document.getElementById('tsp-apply-txt').textContent=d+' of '+N+' done';var gs=R.querySelectorAll('[data-g]');for(var j=0;j<gs.length;j++){var c=gs[j].querySelectorAll('input'),k=0;for(var q=0;q<c.length;q++){if(c[q].checked)k++;}var sp=R.querySelector('[data-gc="'+gs[j].getAttribute('data-g')+'"]');if(sp)sp.textContent='('+k+'/'+c.length+')';}}for(var i=0;i<bx.length;i++){(function(b){if(s[b.getAttribute('data-i')])b.checked=true;b.addEventListener('change',function(){s[b.getAttribute('data-i')]=b.checked?1:0;try{localStorage.setItem(K,JSON.stringify(s))}catch(e){}up();});})(bx[i]);}up();})();</script></div>

What can go wrong, and what HMRC says to do

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">The AI rule deserves a second look because it covers two different things. HMRC's FAQ allows AI for research about the programme. The job page warns separately that examples and statements in your application must be <em>"truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience"</em>, and that applications may be withdrawn where plagiarism is identified, which includes presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or ones generated by AI, as your own; internal candidates may also face disciplinary action.</p>

How 2027 differs from the last campaign on GOV.UK

<p style="margin:0 0 16px;line-height:1.7">GOV.UK's own TSP page still describes the 2024 campaign, closed on 10 January 2024. The structure has changed, so it is worth knowing which details from it to ignore.</p>

<div style="background:#ffffff;color:#303846;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:12px;padding:18px 20px;margin:18px 0"><h3 style="margin:0 0 10px;font-size:17px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29">More in this series</h3><ul style="margin:0;padding-left:20px"><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><a href="/hub/hmrc-tax-specialist-programme-online-tests" style="color:#255a45">The online tests: Verbal, Numerical and Judgement</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><a href="/hub/civil-service-styles-assessment" style="color:#255a45">The Civil Service Styles Assessment</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><a href="/hub/hmrc-tax-specialist-programme-eligibility-salary" style="color:#255a45">Eligibility, salary and what the job asks of you</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><a href="/hub/civil-service-judgement-test-pass-mark-scoring" style="color:#255a45">Civil Service Judgement Test pass mark and scoring</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><a href="/hub/civil-service-judgement-test-tips" style="color:#255a45">Civil Service Judgement Test tips</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><a href="/hub/civil-service-judgement-test-score-meaning" style="color:#255a45">What a Civil Service Judgement Test percentile means</a></li></ul></div>

<div style="background:#ffffff;color:#303846;border:1px solid #e4e1d8;border-radius:12px;padding:18px 20px;margin:18px 0"><h3 style="margin:0 0 10px;font-size:17px;font-weight:700;color:#171d29">Sources</h3><ul style="margin:0;padding-left:20px"><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><span style="color:#1f7a45;font-weight:700">official</span> — <a href="https://careers.hmrc.gov.uk/jobs/tax-specialist-programme-2027-belfast-united-kingdom-birmingham-bristol-cardiff-croydon-edinburgh-glasgow-leeds-liverpool-manchester-newcastle-upon-tyne-nottingham-portsmouth-stratford" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color:#255a45">HMRC: "Tax Specialist Programme (TSP) 2027 Recruitment Process Candidate Guide" (PDF attached to the job page; read 21 Oct 2026): recruitment timeline, eligibility, locations, progression, the four stages, assessment centre locations, FAQ</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><span style="color:#1f7a45;font-weight:700">official</span> — <a href="https://careers.hmrc.gov.uk/jobs/tax-specialist-programme-2027-belfast-united-kingdom-birmingham-bristol-cardiff-croydon-edinburgh-glasgow-leeds-liverpool-manchester-newcastle-upon-tyne-nottingham-portsmouth-stratford" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color:#255a45">HMRC careers: "Tax Specialist Programme 2027" job page (read 21 Oct 2026): job description, 28-hour minimum and 60% office attendance, eligibility, pension, nationality requirements, online-test maintenance times</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><span style="color:#1f7a45;font-weight:700">official</span> — <a href="https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/hmrc-tax-specialist-programme/" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color:#255a45">Civil Service Careers: Tax Specialist Programme page (the live page was down for maintenance on 22 Oct 2026; checked against the Internet Archive copy of 4 Oct 2026): applications for the 2027 cohort close 26 Oct 2026; entry requirements; salary and promotion; the application process; FAQ</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><span style="color:#1f7a45;font-weight:700">official</span> — <a href="https://careers.hmrc.gov.uk/tax-graduates" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color:#255a45">HMRC careers: "Tax Graduates" page (read 21 Oct 2026): "Applications for our 2027 cohort will be open on 9 October until 26 October 2026"</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><span style="color:#1f7a45;font-weight:700">official</span> — <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/preparing-for-the-civil-service-verbal-and-numerical-tests" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color:#255a45">GOV.UK: Preparing for the Civil Service Verbal and Numerical tests (last updated 14 May 2025)</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><span style="color:#1f7a45;font-weight:700">official</span> — <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/preparing-for-the-civil-service-judgement-test" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color:#255a45">GOV.UK: Preparing for the Civil Service Judgement Test (last updated 24 May 2024)</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><span style="color:#1f7a45;font-weight:700">official</span> — <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/preparing-for-the-civil-service-styles-assessment" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color:#255a45">GOV.UK: Preparing for the Civil Service Styles Assessment (published 27 Jan 2026)</a></li><li style="margin:6px 0;line-height:1.6"><span style="color:#1f7a45;font-weight:700">official</span> — <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/tax-professional-development-programme" rel="nofollow noopener" style="color:#255a45">GOV.UK: "Join the HMRC graduate programme (Tax Professional)" (last updated 4 Dec 2023): the 2024 campaign, closed 10 Jan 2024. History only: for 2027, use the 2027 candidate guide</a></li></ul><p style="margin:12px 0 0;font-size:13px;color:#5b6472"><strong style="color:#1f7a45">official</strong> = a document published by the conducting body. <strong style="color:#8a5300">reported</strong> = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.</p></div>

<a href="/exam/hmrc-tax-specialist-programme">This article has been published in HMRC Tax Specialist Programme (TSP). Explore everything related to it here.</a>

hmrc-tax-specialist-programme-application

Applications closed 26 October 2026; the Judgement Test runs 4 Nov to 11:30am on 10 Nov 2026. Every stage of the 2027 TSP campaign, with HMRC's own dates, how progression works and what comes next.