The Treasury is to appoint internally as the department promotes Indra Morris to be its next director general, tax and welfare.

Currently director of personal tax, welfare and pensions, Morris replaces the out-going Edward Troup who, it was announced earlier this year, is to make the short jump across Whitehall to HMRC, as commissioner for tax assurance, policy and professionalism (second permanent secretary).

An Oxford graduate, Morris has been a civil servant for much of her working life with stints at the department for social security and the department for work and pensions, as well as eight years with Accenture sandwiched between more than three years at the Treasury.

Morris begins her new role in early November, but other than her current position has had limited experience of dealing with tax in her career so far.

Mike Fleming, director of taxation services at Straughans, however was prepared to give Morris the benefit of the doubt saying: 'She is obviously very well connected and may prove to be effective in the job.'

Patrick Stevens, Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) president, said: 'We look forward to working with Indra Morris who we have dealt with in her current Treasury role already, for example over the cap on relief on pension contributions.'