Megan’s Tax apprenticeship journey

Megan joined us after deciding to move back to her roots in Leeds following qualifying at AAT L4 at a small accountancy firm in the North East and is currently studying the Tax ATT/CTA pathway qualification as part of an apprenticeship. Here she tells us her story…

My background before Kirk Newsholme

After finishing my A-Levels, I headed off to university in Newcastle to study psychology. When I graduated, I then joined a small team in an accountancy firm in Newcastle, preparing VAT returns, payroll and year end accounts and gaining my level 4 AAT. I was then looking to move back to the Leeds area and knew I wanted to progress further in my career by doing so. I spoke with Amy at KN who talked me through the possibility of a role in Tax and knew it was the right move for me.

What is tax study like?

The tax study is a 9 exam route from start to finish, with three level 4 ATT exams, giving you a strong foundation in different areas of tax, focusing on calculation of tax in those areas. There are also three multiple choice based exams in accounting, law and ethics to support your knowledge in tax to make sure you become a well rounded tax advisor. Then there are three level 7 CTA exams which focus more on the advisory side of tax. Working a full time role whilst studying is both challenging and rewarding. I know that there is a joke amongst the team that you can tell when it is tax exam season but the feeling you get on result day with a pass is unmatched!

A bit about my job role

On the day to day, a tax role is very varied. We may work on many different clients throughout the day, helping them with queries as well as checking in with their compliance needs. My role after working at the firm for nearly two years is to complete Corporate Tax returns, as well as other compliance such as Personal Tax returns, P11D forms, Pension Scheme returns, and Share Scheme returns. As a team we also liaise with HMRC about clients tax affairs. I have contact with clients when I accompany the audit team on site to prepare their tax and discuss planning points with them, which helps me develop my skills as I progress into a qualified Tax Advisor. My role also allows me to research tax topics that may be more niche to a certain client, which I then share with my team to help others. KN is a great firm to provide a range of tax experience and exposure to different taxes which you may not get elsewhere, helping you to become a well rounded individual and Tax Advisor.

Who would the role be good for?

Someone who loves problem solving, someone with good communication skills working with a range of teams in the firm and working with clients, someone who wants to be challenged and have variety in their work.