BellTIME
BellTIME
Choose a career in tax as an AITI Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA)
What is a career in tax all
about?
Tax is at the heartbeat of all commercial
transactions – and impacts everyone from
individuals right through to large multinational
companies. Tax is based on legislation, so
coming up with tax advice means unravelling
and investigating the rules in legislation and
putting together tax advice that makes a real
financial difference.
What type of work will I be
doing?
A career in tax as a CTA could mean working
with and advising some of the ke y people
and corporates in Ireland and abroad – from
home-grown tech start-ups, pioneering
biomedical multinationals, global investment
banks to the leading entrepreneurs with the
most innovative and revolutionary business
concepts. It could mean working with the
Revenue Commissioners, Department of
Finance or the EU Commission advising on
key areas of Irish and EU tax policy and
shaping the legislation.
Where could I work?
CTAs work in:
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Professional services firms
Legal firms
The corporate sector
Financial services
Public sector
There are 5,000 CTAs working in Ireland, and
over 28,000 CTAs working all over the world.
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What do I need to study at college to become a
CTA?
It’s more about your qualities and skills that you bring to the career
rather than what you study at college. A lot of CTAs have studied
business, accounting, or law at college, but graduates from
engineering, science or humanities, go on to have really successful
careers in tax.
Here are some of the top skills for a career in tax:
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A creative thinker
• A flair for innovative problem solving
Analytical know how
• Persistent and resilient
A natural communicator • An aptitude for numbers
Commercial acumen
So, if I want to work in tax, I need to qualify as a
CTA – how do I do that?
If you graduate with a Level 8 degree (in any discipline), you can
register with the Irish Tax Institute as a student. There are three parts
to the qualification, but depending on your undergraduate degree (or
postgraduate degree); you may be entitled to some exemptions from
Part 1. After you complete all three parts, you will be a CTA.
Normally you will get a tax trainee role with a firm, so you will be
working during the day while doing this qualification part-time. Firms
generally advertise on the “milk round”, so look out for this in your final
year at college.
What should I be doing if I am interested in
becoming a CTA?
It’s never too early to make career decisions! Here are a few
suggestions:
• Check out www.careerintax.ie for everything you need to
know about the career and the qualification!
• Talk to your career counsellor or business studies teacher – they
are a great starting point to guide you in the right direction.
• Speak to people in the profession - they will give you great ideas
about where to start!
For more information visit careerintax.ie
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