Portsmouth South MP Flick Drummond will write to the HMRC chief executive asking him to think again about plans to remove the taxman from the city.
The Inland Revenue employs around 1200 people at two sites - Lynx and Wingfield Houses - but both will be closed by 2025/6 as HMRC focuses on two major hub in Croydon and Stratford.
Flick is taking action after meeting with HMRC employee Patrick Smyth to discuss staff fears over the remodelling of the services and the threat of redundancies.
Workers are also concerned about HMRC not having a presence on the south coast, and told Flick the Portsmouth offices are presently undertaking important compliance work with the Government’s new National Living Wage.
‘Although these changes are years away, it’s clear this is going to have a major impact on many people and their families in Portsmouth,’ said Flick.
‘I understand that the HMRC wants to rationalise its offices, but just two hubs far away from here is not perhaps such a good idea.
‘The Inland Revenue has committed and skilled staff here in Portsmouth undertaking important work and the fear is these important skills, that allow the government to collect taxes, will be lost when the offices close as many will not be willing to move miles away for any positions at the new hubs.'
‘I will be writing to the chief executive, Jon Thompson, asking him to look again at these plans and I will pass on the employees’ concerns too.’
Wingfield House in Commercial Road will be closed by 2019, at the latest, and Lynx House in Northern Road will shut by 2026 under the present plans.