HMRC’s plans to close 14 offices across the UK are expected to affect 453 civil servants.

"In line with our Spending Review settlements, HMRC is continuing to reduce in size, to become more highly-skilled and to operate from fewer locations,” an HMRC spokesperson explained.

Employees will be given the opportunity to relocate within the HMRC or across the Civil Service by January 2015 – those that cannot find alternative employment will be invited to take voluntary redundancy. 

A further 690 administrative employees in the HMRC have been offered voluntary redundancy as a result of the automation and digitisation of processes which have reduced the need for administrative assistants. 

The HMRC said: “We remain committed to avoiding compulsory redundancies wherever possible, but as the scope for redeployment reduces, it will become increasingly difficult to avoid this.”

The PCS criticised the HMRC for the closures. 

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "It makes absolutely no economic sense to continue cutting in the department that collects the taxes that fund the public services we all rely on.”