Student Policy Placement

Overview

HMRC is seeking two enthusiastic undergraduate students for a 9-12 month policy internship role, starting September 2026. Join our highly-skilled team and gain hands-on experience supporting the development and delivery of key indirect tax policies.

This is a unique opportunity to work at the cutting-edge of policy making across areas like VAT, environmental taxes, gambling duties and more. You will directly contribute to shaping future legislation while building an in-demand skill set.

We provide extensive training, mentoring and professional support to help you thrive. If you are passionate about gaining vital work experience in the civil service, HMRC will work closely with the student’s university throughout the sandwich placement, providing ongoing engagement, structured support, and regular communication to ensure a positive and development-focused experience.

Interested? Continue reading to find out more about this opportunity.

As a Policy Intern, you’ll work within a professional environment on a number of diverse projects. You’ll gain vital skills, behaviours and knowledge, whilst receiving full support from both your manager and colleagues.

You’ll be involved in crafting, developing and delivering forward thinking government priorities, as well as developing relevant technical and policy skills to support your future career.

• Supporting the implementation of effective policies and engaging with internal and external partners.
• Drafting detailed advice and guidance to colleagues across HMRC, HM Treasury and external bodies.
• Conducting research and data analysis to inform policy decisions.
• Monitoring and evaluating the impact of existing policies.
• Supporting the Directorate’s people engagement initiatives.

Successful candidates will need to be able to attend the Liverpool Regional Centre office 3 days a week throughout the whole period of your placement.

We are looking for someone with excellent interpersonal and communication skills (oral and written) who is confident in their ability to develop their knowledge to provide clear and evidenced advice to senior colleagues and support policy development and delivery.

• Must be studying towards an undergraduate degree and eligible for a ‘sandwich’ intern year or taking a gap year between your second and third year.
• Experience in researching, coordinating and analysing facts and data.
• Ability to confidently engage and collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders across different teams.
• Able to manage and prioritise an exciting and varied workload.