Paul Gray (civil servant)

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Paul Gray CB (born 2 August 1948) is a British former civil servant who was chairman of HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) from September 2006 until November 2007. He resigned after HMRC lost 25 million child benefit records.

Career highlights
- Joined the Civil Service in 1969 as an economist at the Treasury, working on agriculture, industry, and employment issues, and helped coordinate the Public Expenditure Survey.
- Spent two years in the late 1970s as a corporate planner for Booker McConnell Ltd.
- In 1988 became private secretary for economic affairs to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher; returned to the Treasury in 1990 to work on monetary policy and served on the EU Monetary Committee.
- From 1995 to 1998 was director of budget and public finances, handling the Finance Bill process.
- In 1998 moved to the Department of Social Security as group director and head of policy; helped create the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and later became Second Permanent Secretary and managing director for pensions and disability.
- While at the DSS, was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 2000.
- In September 2004 he was appointed deputy chairman of both the Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise, and then deputy chairman of HM Revenue & Customs.
- Became acting chairman of HMRC on 1 September 2006 after Sir David Varney’s resignation; confirmed permanent in February 2007; resigned on 20 November 2007 following the child benefit records data loss.