What we do

You probably think of us as the people who collect tax, but there’s far more to HM Revenue and Customs than that. We consist of one-fifth of the entire Civil Service and, as well as collecting direct and indirect taxes, we also have responsibility for maintaining the security of the UK frontiers, working to combat smuggling, and tackling financial crime and fraud.

Intelligence Analysis (IA) is responsible for providing strategic, tactical and operational analysis to inform decisions across the entire Department. These range from informing the strategic direction HMRC takes to tackle a particular threat from organised crime, directing the deployment of our staff at frontier ports, through to assistance on individual criminal prosecution cases. Analysts are expected to apply rigorous analytical skills. The reports we produce impact at the highest level, and our recommendations inform policy and research decisions not only across HMRC but also across other government departments. We also predict and prepare risk analysis where there is no laid down intelligence and no current departmental activity. IA’s vision statement highlights our need to support all areas of HMRC by producing a range of Intelligence Analysis products to assist in the delivery of targets and informing key decision makers at all levels. Our main objectives are to:

Deliver timely, accurate and relevant products in support of our customers’ activities

Draw attention to new or changing areas of concern which Intelligence Analysis suggests are emerging

Increase the decision makers certainty about an operating environment