inland revenue
Inland Revenue is the old British name for the tax office, now called HMRC, that collects income tax and enforces tax rules in the UK.
In plain English
Adaeze moved to Manchester for a nursing job, and the first payslip that landed in her inbox had a line she did not recognise, tax code and a deduction sitting calmly under her gross pay.
She called her cousin who had lived there longer, and he said, that is the Inland Revenue biting a bit off your salary before you even see it, though these days everyone just calls it HMRC.
Inland Revenue was the actual government department in the United Kingdom that collected income tax, National Insurance, and other direct taxes, long before it merged with Customs and Excise in 2005 to become HM Revenue and Customs.
The name has stuck around in conversation the way people still say NEPA in Nigeria even though the organisation changed its name years ago to the various distribution companies.
If you are Nigerian and working or investing in Britain, whenever someone mentions Inland Revenue, they simply mean the tax authority, the one that decides what you owe, sends refunds when you overpay, and can knock on your door if you underpay for too long.
It is worth knowing the old name because older documents, pension letters, and even some banks still reference it, and you do not want to think a stranger organisation is writing to you when it is only the tax office wearing its former coat.
Adaeze earns £2,400 a month in the UK. Before HMRC, back when it was called Inland Revenue, a similar deduction would apply, tax and National Insurance taken off automatically, leaving her with about £1,950 to spend or send home to her mother in Enugu.
Questions people ask
Is Inland Revenue still the correct name to use today?
No, it merged with HM Customs and Excise in 2005 to form HMRC, which stands for HM Revenue and Customs, so that is the name you should use now, but you will still see Inland Revenue on older letters and forms.
Does Nigeria have an equivalent to the Inland Revenue or HMRC?
Yes, the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, handles federal taxes in Nigeria, while each state also has its own internal revenue service for state level taxes like personal income tax deducted from salaries.
Why does this old name matter to Nigerians living or working in the UK?
Because pension providers, old tax records, and some official letters still use the term, so knowing it helps you recognise that it refers to the same tax authority you deal with today, not a separate or unfamiliar body.
Last reviewed