HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has formally signed an agreement to lease Erskine House, on Chichester Street, Belfast, for 25 years.

HMRC will be one of the largest employers in the city, adding value to the local economy and forming strong relationships with the community.

Belfast Lord Mayor, Councillor Nuala McAllister, said: "This is fantastic news for Belfast and we wish HMRC and their employees every success in their new location. We’ve made a commitment through our Belfast Agenda to make this a city which attracts increased investment, provides high levels of employment – and where everyone benefits from a thriving and prosperous economy."

HMRC will be taking an estimated 104,220 sq. ft. of office space, eventually accommodating around 1,600 full-time equivalent employees from across the department by 2021. The department also expects to retain an additional permanent site in Belfast to help meet the specific needs of our teams, while providing the most cost effective way to ensure we have the necessary capacity for our numbers in Northern Ireland in the near future.

Erskine House is the fourth of the 13 new regional centres that HMRC has announced, as part of its transformation plans to create a tax authority fit for the future. HMRC is investing in the best of modern technology and basing its people in state-of-the-art and more cost-effective buildings, as it creates better, more modern customer services and makes it harder for the dishonest minority to cheat the system.