Five cartons of records of the Inland Revenue Staff Federation were placed in the Centre on indefinite loan on the 26th July 1988. They were delivered by Kingston Polytechnic, from the office of Dr I. Beardwell where they had been in his custody, together with the archive of the Council of Civil Service Unions. It is understood that many of the ISRF's records were destroyed in 1982 when the union headquarters moved to new premises.
The archive has been catalogued to file level. A copy of the catalogue is available in paper format in the Centre's searchroom.
An authority file exists for the Inland Revenue Staff Federation (GB 152 AAR1242) and its predecessors : the Association of Officers of Taxes (GBR 0152 AAR1243); Association of Tax Clerks (GBR 0152 AAR1244); National Association of Assessors and Collectors of Taxes (GBR 0152 AAR1245); Valuation Office Clerical Association (GBR 0152 AAR1246); Inland Revenue Minor Establishments' Association (GBR 0152 AAR1171).
Inland Revenue Staff Federation (MSS.297), Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick
The Association of Tax Clerks was founded in 1892 and became the Association of Officers of Taxes in 1922. In 1936 the Association of Officers of Taxes joined with the National Association of Assessors and Collectors of Taxes and the Valuation Office Clerical Association to form the Inland Revenue Staff Federation. The Inland Revenue Minor Establishments' Association joined the Federation in 1938. The IRSF functioned as a federal union until 1939/40 when it became a unitary organisation.
James Callaghan, subsequently a Labour M.P. and Prime Minister, was appointed Assistant Secretary of the IRSF in 1936 and held that position until he joined the Royal Navy during the Second World War.
Annual conference files, 1927-52; circulated minutes of various civil service joint bodies, 1920s-40s; subject files 1929-56; Association of Officers of Taxes: various minutes, 1923-6;