Dan York Smith
Biography
Dan was appointed Director General (DG) of Tax and Welfare on in March 2023, having been interim DG from November 2022.
Prior to taking up his DG role Dan was the Director of Strategy, Planning and Budget group for five years, leading on overall fiscal event strategy under six Chancellors and supporting the Executive Management Board to deliver business planning, departmental strategy and the best use of the flexible strategic project resource. Dan also led on COVID-19 strategy for the first six months of the pandemic.
Dan joined the Treasury in 2004 from HMRC. Since then, he’s undertaken a range of roles mostly in tax policy and the centre of the department, including having been Deputy Director of Enterprise and Property Tax team, Personal Tax team and the Chancellor’s Press Secretary and head of communications. Dan also worked in No.10 as the Private Secretary to the Prime Minister on Economic Affairs.
Director General, Tax and Welfare
Responsibilities include:
- advising the Chancellor of the Exchequer on business, international and personal tax, labour markets, welfare and customs.
- oversight of the department’s central strategy function, flexible policy pool and Budget process.
- the Treasury’s relationships with HMRC and DWP and representing the Treasury externally to support effective communication of the government’s tax and welfare plans
- establishing and leading the new Treasury economic campus in Darlington