As we mark ten years of delivering trusted, high quality tax administration, our anniversary year has provided the perfect opportunity to reflect with our partners and stakeholders on how far we’ve come - and to look ahead with renewed ambition. Over the past several months, we’ve hosted a programme of events designed to bring together partners, policymakers, experts and colleagues from across the public sector and beyond.
From thought provoking webinars to high profile engagements at the Scottish Parliament and Bute House, each event has highlighted the strength of our relationships and the value of collaboration in shaping Scotland’s evolving tax landscape. Here’s a look back at some of the standout moments from our 10 year anniversary celebrations.
British Isles Tax Authority Forum – July 2025
In July, we hosted a gathering of representatives from key tax authorities from across the British Isles in July, including Revenue Scotland, Guernsey, HMRC, Isle of Man, Jersey and the Welsh Revenue Authority. The forum provided a valuable platform for exchanging insights, comparing approaches, and strengthening the partnerships that underpin effective tax administration across jurisdictions.
Reflecting on a Decade of Devolved Tax Powers: Revenue Scotland’s 10-Year Roundtable – October 2025
We organised a roundtable discussion, hosted by Kezia Dugdale (Associate Director of the Centre for Public Policy), featuring Aidan O’Carroll (Chair of Revenue Scotland), Elaine Lorimer (Former CEO of Revenue Scotland), Rt Hon Ken Macintosh (Revenue Scotland board member), and Professor Graeme Roy(Chair of the Scottish Fiscal Commission) as our expert panellists. The conversation included insights on Revenue Scotland’s journey - from the challenges of building a new tax authority from scratch to its emergence as a confident, wellestablished institution a decade on, as well as our role in shaping Scotland’s tax infrastructure, and the development of national tax competence.
Scottish Parliament Drop-in Session – October 2025
During this engagement opportunity at Holyrood, five MSPs took time to meet with senior leaders from Revenue Scotland. The session helped build deeper parliamentary understanding of our work, priorities and progress over the past decade.
Webinar: “How Do Leaders Build and Maintain High Performing Organisations?” – November 2025
On November 6 we held a webinar exploring the question: “How do you build a high performing organisation?” Hosted by Robert Macintosh, Professor of Strategic Management and Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at the University of the West of Scotland, and a member of Revenue Scotland’s Board, the session brought together a panel of expert voices with Louisa MacDonell, Scotland Director at Business in the Community, Debbie Bailey, Co-CEO of 4 Day Week Global and Elaine Lorimer, CEO of Revenue Scotland (now former),
Over 90 minutes, the panel shared insights, explored challenges, and offered practical strategies for creating workplaces where people and performance thrive. Attendees engaged through live Q&A, sharing their own challenges and voting on the toughest questions, from “How do you track subtle shifts in culture?” to “What role should boards play in driving performance?” Some of the key messages which emerged were around culture, clarity, and purpose.
Webinar: “Trends in the Past 10 Years of Devolved Taxes” – November 2025
Hosted by Revenue Scotland’s Head of Corporate Functions, Neil Ferguson. A panel lead by Revenue Scotland Head of Statistics Andrew Morgan gave an overview of trends relating to our statistical publications relating to Land and Buildings Transaction Tax and Scottish Landfill Tax.
Experts from the Scottish Fiscal Commission: Will Jones (Senior Analyst), Anthony Kestner (Economic & Fiscal Analyst), and Alex Homer-Welch (Fiscal Analyst) who also gave an overview of the forecast trends in the devolved taxes over the next few years
Bute House event – January 2026
One of the most prestigious events of our anniversary year took place at Bute House, attended by our Board, SLT, former CEOs, 12 Revenue Scotland staff members from across all grades, as well as the First Minister, the Convenor of the FPAC Committee and representatives from organisations such as the Scottish Government, Scottish Exchequer, ICAS, CIOT, LSS and the SFC. This gathering was a powerful acknowledgment of our achievements and contributions over the past decade.
Three day Parliament exhibition – February 2026
Over three days, Revenue Scotland representatives hosting our exhibition at Parliament engaged in meaningful conversation with 22 MSPs from across all political parties. Colleagues including our CEO and key staff played a crucial role in delivering an engaging and informative showcase of our work, values and future direction.
Webinar: “Getting Data Right: How to Achieve Better Public Outcomes” – February 2026
Hosted by Idong Usoro, Chief Digital and Operations Officer at Miconex, and a member of Revenue Scotland’s Board, the session brought together a panel of expert voices including - Neil Ferguson, Head of Corporate Function at Revenue Scotland , Adam Al-Nuaimi, Head of Data at Welsh Revenue Authority , Annalisa Riccardi, Earth Observation data specialist at University of Strathclyde and Colin Birchenall, Chief Technology Officer at Digital Office for Scottish Local Government and Chief Digital Officer at Glasgow City Council . Over 90 minutes, the panel explored the shared challenges organisations face in using data effectively and how learning from across public services and other sectors can help overcome them.
Webinar: “Digital by design: Strategy and delivery for the modern public sector” – March 2026
An event brought together by Revenue Scotland, and chaired by Graham Curran, Director of Cloudfire Services, the session brought together three expert voices - Ross Ferguson, Director, Public Digital , Lorraine Redekop, Director General, Business Tax Incentives Directorate, Canada Revenue Agency and John Screeton, Head of Channel Strategy Implementation, HMRC - the panellists shared rich insight into how digital, data, and AI can transform public services when embedded with purpose, transparency, and collaboration.
As well as hosting events, we also contributed to other key events throughout the year including:
Round table discussion on 10 years of Revenue Scotland - 10 February 2025
In February last year, our CEO Elaine Lorimer and Head of Corporate Functions Neil Ferguson attended a round table hosted by CIOT where they discussed the backstory outlining the history and evolution of Revenue Scotland including Early Years and Growth, Maturing as a Tax Authority and our response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Scottish Government Tax Conference – September 2025
A highlight of the year, this flagship conference brought together respected leaders and experts, including Elaine Lorimer(former CEO of Revenue Scotland), Aidan O’Carroll (Chair of Revenue Scotland, Cabinet Secretary Shona Robison MSP, Mairi Spowage (Professor of Practice and Director of the Fraser of Allander Institute) and Ellen Milner (Director of Public Policy). Discussions explored the evolution of devolved taxation and the opportunities ahead as Scotland continues to refine and strengthen its fiscal framework.
Women in Tax events
We have spoken at various women in tax events throughout the anniversary year including most recently at a talk in February where our new CEO Johanna Boyd talked about her career so far.
Looking ahead to the next ten years
Our anniversary events have showcased the breadth of our partnerships, the depth of our expertise and the commitment of our colleagues and stakeholders. Each engagement - large or small - has reinforced the vital role we play in delivering a fair, efficient and trusted tax system for Scotland.
As we look toward the next decade, we remain focused on innovation, collaboration and continuous improvement. Thank you to everyone who has taken part in celebrating our first ten years, and for helping shape the path ahead.