HMRC confirms long-term presence in Portsmouth with 900 jobs to remain in the city

Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs tax office at Lynx House, Cosham was set to close by 2026 but it has been confirmed that 900 jobs are no longer at stake as Portsmouth becomes the new home for their regional centre.

The location for the regional centre has not yet been confirmed, meaning it could be situated at the existing site or elsewhere in the city.

The Portsmouth site will be the 14th HMRC regional centre in the country.

HMRC also announced that their East Kilbride (Queensway House) location will be used for the second phase of the Glasgow Regional Centre.

HMRC’s existing transitional sites in Portsmouth (Lynx House) and East Kilbride (Queensway House), were due to close in 2025/26, with employees moving to one of HMRC’s regional centres.

By retaining its presence in East Kilbride for the long-term, HMRC is meeting its commitment for a second site in the Glasgow region.

Today’s announcement means about 2,900 HMRC jobs will now remain in Portsmouth and East Kilbride for the long-term.

Jim Harra, HMRC’s chief executive and First Permanent Secretary, said: ‘I am pleased to announce the latest phase of HMRC’s locations strategy and HMRC’s long term commitment to keeping skilled jobs in Portsmouth and East Kilbride.

‘The locations strategy is key to enabling HMRC’s transformation into a modern and trusted tax and customs authority, equipped to meet customers’ needs. ‘It supports the government’s plans to promote growth and job opportunities by creating opportunities and career paths in every region and country of the UK.’

In 2019, Portsmouth councillors unanimously agreed to write to chiefs at HMRC and the treasury requesting they reconsider plans to shut Lynx House by 2026.

SEE ALSO: Portsmouth council vows to fight for Lynx House

Council leader, Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson, said at the time: 'Something like 900 jobs is really important to a local economy. This daft regionalisation that's so crudely imposed by the government doesn't do us good at all.'

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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