Influencing the Future of the HMRC with Special Guest Samantha O’Sullivan

On this special episode recorded live at the CIPP’s (Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals) Annual Conference and Exhibition (CIPP ACE) in Newport, Wales, Pete sits down with Samantha O’Sullivan, Policy Lead at the CIPP, to unpack the evolving role of payroll in shaping national policy and digital transformation. They discuss the CIPP’s groundbreaking secondment with His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), a first-of-its-kind partnership embedding a payroll leader directly inside government to help modernize the U.K.’s tax and payroll infrastructure. Samantha shares how this collaboration is redefining payroll’s strategic value, driving modernization of legacy systems, and bringing a practitioner’s voice into national transformation initiatives. The conversation dives into why payroll must have a seat at the table - in both government and the C-suite - and how empathy, collaboration, and data-driven leadership are reshaping the profession. From payrolling benefits in kind to tackling the UK’s £475 billion tax landscape, this episode spotlights payroll’s power to influence policy, enhance compliance, and elevate its standing as a true strategic function. Connect with Samantha: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-o-sullivan-mcippdip-policy-lead/ CIPP Website: https://www.cipp.org.uk/ Join the CIPP: https://www.cipp.org.uk/membership/join-online.html Connect with the show: LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/company/hr-payroll-2-0 X: @HRPayroll2_0 @PeteTiliakos @JulieFer_HR BlueSky: @hrpayroll2o.bsky.social YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HRPAYROLL2_0