10 reasons to consider an intensive course with The Tax Institute

Education providers sometimes offer intensive, compressed versions of their courses. It’s an alternative that’s becoming increasingly popular with students, who report higher satisfaction levels because of the time they save with this study mode.

Moreover, researchers over the past 20 years have concluded that intensive courses do no disservice to students’ educational outcomes and, in fact, offer many advantages.

The Tax Institute’s fast-tracked ‘CTA1 Foundation intensive’ subject provides students with tax fundamentals in just 6 weeks, as opposed to the usual 14. Students can accelerate their professional growth and can update their knowledge of Australian tax basics in record time.

Here are our top 10 reasons to enrol in The Tax Institute’s CTA1 Foundation intensive.

2016 duces share their experience of learning with The Tax Institute

Here at The Tax Institute, we’ve always been confident about the quality and value of our education programs.

For additional feedback, we spoke with two of our highest-performing students from study period 3, 2016 - Kelly Venhuizen and Terry Gan.

Learning beyond university: Taking your degree to the next level

You’ve spent years taking undergraduate tax courses and finally scored yourself a graduate position. You’re ready to hit the ground running, right?

Well, no actually. Most firms want their new recruits to complete further studies within their first year, such as the Tax Institute’s CTA1Foundations, to bridge the significant gap between academic principles and workplace practice.

We asked four senior staff members from leading accounting and financial services firms, such as Barringtons, DKM Group, Moore Stephens and Westcourt, to explain why they expect their early-career staff members to undertake a tax course with a vocational focus.

Plugging the gaps

The taxation education provided at Australia’s tertiary institutions is of a high standard, but no matter how prestigious the university you went to or what grades you achieved, there is still plenty you need to learn.

“Universities touch on many aspects of tax in their degree courses,” says Anne Goode, associate director at Moore Stephens. “Within a six-month study period the level of detail that can be taught is limited. That’s why we enroll all our tax and business service graduates in CTA1 Foundations. It’s a way to refresh the university course material and complement the in-house training.”

More training equals faster advancement

If the thought of hitting the books five minutes after graduating has you rolling your eyes, consider the fact that undertaking a tax training course will allow you to take on challenging projects sooner than might otherwise be possible.

“Getting graduates to do the Tax Institute’s CTA1 Foundations gives them a general overview – or refresher – in Australian tax law and reduces their write-offs and the consumption of existing staff resources [in supervision] during their first six months on the job,” says Ross Forrester, director at Westcourt. “Once they they’ve completed the course they can move on from just the fundamental professional work to doing simple research tasks.”

Leigh Dyson, senior manager at Barringtons, echoes Forrester’s remarks. “Staff who have completed CTA1 Foundations have a much better understanding of the tax framework and key provisions and don’t require as much supervision or to have basic concepts explained to them. Once staff are enrolled in the course we can get them to start doing compliance-based work, such as tax returns and BAS, which require an understanding of key concepts.”

Boost your soft skills

“I can remember the days when a textbook had so much value – now you can Google everything,” says Daleen Van der Merwe, HR manager at DKM Group. “How do you differentiate yourself in that environment? It’s about having skills.”

Van Der Merwe believes a tax training course such as CTA1 Foundations can teach those skills, creating savvy, sure-footed operators rather than uncertain newbies who are going to cause “other team members’ time to be wasted fixing errors”.   

Read about the importance of soft and hard skills.

Still need convincing about the wisdom of signing up for a post-university Australian tax course? We’ll give the final word to Ross Forrester: “CTA1 Foundations is not an intimidating course for younger staff, but it is an effective one, allowing them to better operate in a professional firm. And it sets them on a pathway to the CTA2A and CTA2B Advanced, which gives them the knowledge needed for a professional advice firm.”

Looking for that competitive edge? Look into completing The Tax Institute’s Programs, Single Subjects or Short-Courses.

Find out more.

A to-do list for first-year tax students

In a competitive environment such as the tax and accounting industry, it’s never too soon to start laying the groundwork for your future career. Here are five things you should aim to get sorted during the first year of your university tax course.

Develop a good grasp of the tax system
You can't build a house without a firm foundation, and gaining a solid understanding of the Australian tax system as soon as possible is the first step to a great tax career. You can – and probably will – spend a lifetime learning all its intricacies, but you'll want to nail the basics early on. (You may find enrolling in The Tax Institute’s CTA1 Foundations taxation course an effective way to achieve this.)

In particular, get your head around GST
It's the aspect of the tax system you’ll encounter more often than any other and, as you’ll soon come to learn, there’s a lot more to it than just whacking 10 percent on top of the cost of many (but not all) goods and services.

Join The Tax Institute
This one should be a no-brainer. Aside from free access to the leading Taxation in Australia journal – which can make all those assignments much easier – you will find the support you need to not only get you through your studies but to set you up for a successful career in tax plus it’s FREE! Join up right now.

Set up an internship
There's no better way to acquire practical experience and make some useful connections than through an internship. Australia's Big Four firms – Deloitte, PwC, KPMG and Ernst & Young – are the prestige destinations. All four have student programs, so bookmark these pages and visit them as often as you can:

• Deloitte
• Ernst & Young
• KPMG
• PwC

But don't limit your search to major (or even minor) accounting firms – companies in almost every industry have finance departments where you can pick up practical experience.

Attend at least one industry event
Getting your name out there at networking events is a perfect way to make contacts that will help you down the road. The Tax Institute has a calendar of key industry events that are listed by state so you can find one close to home and at different levels in your careers.  

Your first year at uni will be a remarkable period of personal and intellectual growth. By all means enjoy your new environment, but don’t forget to do the legwork that will set you up for a great career when you graduate.

Give yourself the edge with free Student Membership
If you are a tertiary education student, The Tax Institute can help you progress in your career journey.

Find out about Student Membership.

Member profile: Abby Hinchcliffe

Employer: Thomas Noble & Russell

Position: Intermediate Accountant

As a mature aged student I completed my Bachelor of Business degree majoring in Advanced Accounting in 2013. Shortly after I kick started my career in a medium size private practice firm named Thomas Noble and Russell where I have been working for the last 22 months whilst undertaking my Diploma of Chartered Accounting. Thomas Noble and Russell (TNR) is a longstanding firm with a reputation for providing high quality and detailed service. With a strong focus on in-house training it is the perfect environment for me to develop a solid foundation as a Tax Practitioner.

Describe your current role

With almost 2 year experience in business services I am currently focusing on learning the mainly technical aspects of accounting. My daily activities include the preparation, lodgment and administration of Business Activity Statements, Monthly Payroll Tax Calculations, Instalment Activity Statements, Income Tax Returns, and Financial Reports for all types of entities. I correspond with the ATO, other government bodies, bookkeepers and other businesses on behalf of our clients. I liaise and build relationships with my clients and colleagues, which I find most rewarding.

Describe your involvement in The Tax Institute’s committees or contribution to the Institute

Having completed the CTA1 Foundations and CTA2 Advanced course through The Tax Institute. I was so impressed by the concise and practical content and delivery of these courses that I wanted to get more involved with The Tax Institute. I now sit on the Graduate Diploma Committee, which allows me to meet more young tax practitioners (like myself) and discuss how we can support ourselves more as upcoming Tax Professionals. Studying with The Tax Institute has hugely supported me to be more confident applying my knowledge and understand of tax on a daily basis.

What are your career highlights?

I am very thankful for being hired by TNR where the partner and the team I work for take the time to train me in all areas of tax. Other highlights include many moments of appreciation such as receiving client referrals and feedback, the satisfaction of working well with my team and getting to meet people I would not have the opportunity to meet elsewhere.

Why did you join The Tax Institute?

I joined The Tax Institute because I want my involvement in accounting to be broader than the sole office I work in and to network with other Tax Professionals. My commitment to The Tax Institute is a gesture of support and respect for the industry I work in.

What advice can you give to graduates?

Don’t be shy to upsell all your great qualities even if you have no experience, you are no less because you are at the beginning of your career. Understand and respect the wealth of understanding you will build over time. If there is something you don’t understand, make the time to research and discuss with other professionals for your own understanding. Appreciate anyone who is willing to support your learning. Get to know you clients and colleagues as best as you can.

Who or what inspires you?

Many people inspire me including my collegues, friends and family. I will use this opportunity to thank Natalie Benhayon specifically who inspired me follow my heart and peruse a career in accounting.

What do you do to unwind?

Walking, Conversations with my fiancée, family & friends, Cooking, Having a bath and an early night (especially on a Wednesday).

Favourite holiday destination?

Hoi An in Vietnam, it is super relaxing by the beach, lovely people, great food and full of tailors…and a baragin.

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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