HM Revenue and Customs has launched a tax academy to offer its trainee staff degrees accredited by Manchester Metropolitan University.

MMU already runs a series of undergraduate and postgraduate  Financial Planning degrees in consultation and collaboration with the Institute of Financial Planning.

The tax qualification, either a foundation or BA Honours degree, will cover Professional Studies in Taxation. It is hoped 400 HMRC workers will be enrolled on the course by September.

The course will involve a mixture of university-based and online study with both exams and practical assessments.

Dave Hartnett, HMRC permanent secretary for tax, said: “We know we have great people doing great work that deserves to be recognised. We want to be seen as a leader in tax, both in the UK and internationally, and the launch of the tax academy is a really important step towards that.”

Dr Mary Meldrum, associate dean for enterprise at Manchester Metropolitan University Business School, said: “This puts MMU at the forefront of professional workforce development in the area of business and finance.”

Students on the Financial Planning courses at MMU have won the IFP’s University Team Challenge for the last four years as well as the Aviva Future Adviser programme.