Tax Advisor (Part Qualified) Review

I am a corporate tax advisor and as part of my role i am involved in corporation tax compliance, tax audits and tax advisory projects. I assist on global compliance and reporting engagements and manage a wide portfolio of clients which includes small and medium size companies as well as large multinational companies

I had no previous knowledge of tax and have developed a strong understand of UK corporation tax as well as technical knowledge in other types of tax such as VAT and Employment tax - mainly from studies. As well as technical skills i have developed my communication skills and managerial skills. This has been a result of having to manage my own portfolio of clients.

I enjoy working for EY due to the flexibility of work and the freedom to follow the type of work i enjoy within my service line. My team have provided me with a variety of experiences and supported my development by giving strong and valuable feedback on a regular basis. The program has provided me with a big insight into the corporate world and plenty of experience.

The school leaver programme itself has been very un-organised and over the past 3 and a half years the structure of the prorgramme has changed several times. It is 5 years long and unfortunately this feels too long as the exams are spread too far apart which does not help with studying. Additionally, the workload increases in later years when there is a requirement to focus on exams which is difficult. Overall the programme feels to structured and given its length of 5 years does not provide any flexibility to suit different individuals

My employer supports a lot throughout the programme even if it is not always the most helpful. All my courses and exams are booked an paid for by the firm. There is a designated platform for school leavers to use which provides information as needed however this is not always kept up to date. The firm allocates Counselors who assist with development throughout the programme

Kaplan provide a good amount of support when working towards my qualification. They have a helpful online website with resources and helpline which has been very useful recently as classes have been cancelled but online study is still continuing. Miscommunications between Kaplan and my employer have caused isses with college dates previously.

The training provider is very much exam focused and does not provide much training which is applicable to the real world. The technical knowledge learnt can be applied in my work which is useful however this can quickly become outdated due to changes in corporation tax legislation.

My place of work holds regular social activities which are great. They also provide two days a year for charity work and last year i used one day to enter a mud run which was organised by the firm. My team has also recently organised a 5 a side football tournament.

Yes

There is a very good social side to the firm and the team is great. EY pushes you to develop and push yourself by giving useful and regular feedback. The companies flexible working policy is really helpful especially when studying towards exams as this allows to save time on commuting.

I would suggest considering the length of the programme you choose as the EY programme is 5 years which i feel is too long. When applying make sure you have consider what role in the firm you would like to pursue as there is a wide variety of opportunities. Consider taking the university route before entering a long programme.