Straight from the horse’s mouth

We know that the best tax professionals don’t just bow out of education the moment they have a degree in their hands. Beyond connections in the tax industry, the trait that draws in prospective employers most is ambition.

Postgraduate tax qualifications, such as a Graduate Diploma in Applied Tax Law from The Tax Institute, has the ability to shine a spotlight on your aspirations and enthusiasm. We spoke to some recent graduates whose post-university dip into tax training saw their career opportunities flourish.

Working in a foreign country

As with any transition to a new country, the learning curve regarding new tax policies, important dates and documentation requirements can be steep. For James Collacott, who emigrated from the UK and had over 10 years’ experience in mid-tier firms before his Australian move, he found studying the CTA1 Foundations at The Tax Institute had an immediate impact on his application of tax law to day-to-day work. “I found the course to be very practical in terms of the way I have immediately been able to apply what I have learnt.”

He attributes gaining employment at Crosbie Warren Sinclair to applying for a postgraduate – and foreign tax – qualification. James further proved his commitment by completing his studies as dux of CTA1 Foundations.

Practical application of skills

All too often, one of the bigger complaints about university degrees is the absence of immediate practicality. With postgraduate education, which is completed alongside your work commitments, skills can be applied immediately. For Nicole Chromy, who completed CTA2 Advanced, the course gave her confidence in her abilities to break down and tackle left-of-centre tax situations. “The course is extremely practical and has assisted me in engaging in discussions and advice in my role as a tax consultant. It has also helped me think outside what may seem to be the initial question at hand.”

Understanding ‘why’

Too often we are taught how to solve a problem without first understanding why the solution came to be. The ability to think outside the box to solve complex problems can be attributed to having a deep-rooted understanding of the situation itself – in this case, tax law. Anthonius Lukito, who also completed CTA2 Advanced, found the most valuable part was learning “the rationale and insight behind a tax law”. With a firm grounding in ‘why’, he could begin to tackle questions in practical situations that he had never before come across.

Jason DeMarte, another graduate of CTA2, believes he has come away with a more well-rounded tax knowledge base. While he may not encounter all areas of taxation in his day-to-day work at Cooper Partners, he feels he can apply this skill set to many different areas of tax.

Additional tax courses and tax agent training have the potential to steer your career in an upward trajectory as a new professional in the tax accountancy industry. Consider enrolling in further training at The Tax Institute to boost your success.


Take the next step in your tax career with the Graduate Diploma of Applied Tax Law 

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