Tim studied Russian and politics at the University of Sheffield and he now works in Corporate Tax in the Gatwick office.

My time is predominantly spent on corporation tax compliance work. This effectively entails ensuring that a company pays the correct amount of tax, having reviewed its financial statements for an accounting period. Compliance work will typically involve considerable liaison with our clients and colleagues in other departments and I also occasionally get involved in tax advisory work. Broadly speaking, this requires the use of technical knowledge to consider potential mitigation of a client’s tax liability, either in light of ongoing circumstances or a particular transaction.

The sheer volume of tax legislation dictates that a career in tax is always challenging, there is always something new to be learnt and more knowledge to be added to your technical armoury. I’ve had a wide variety of opportunities made available to me since joining BDO. The tax training and technical department offers all graduates joining the tax stream an extensive and comprehensive training scheme. This not only enables me to gain professional qualifications, but also equips me with the necessary skills to become a competent tax adviser. I’ve also undertaken a short secondment with the training department, during which I had the opportunity to teach some less experienced members of the firm and deliver several technical presentations. I’ve also worked in other offices and spent time in the personal tax department, which has allowed me to meet more of my colleagues.

Accountancy can offer great variety, so I would recommend that you research all the options available, to guarantee as far as possible that you find yourself in the area of accountancy most suited to you.