Denise Yau
I joined Mercer and Hole in June 2007, as a trainee in the Private Client Tax department of the London office. I graduated in 2006 with a degree in Accountancy from the University of Dundee, and spent the intervening year studying Japanese and French, as well as doing a bit of travelling. Having developed an interest in tax during my degree, I decided to embark on a career in tax as it not only combines my interest in numbers, finance and problem-solving, but is also a challenging career. Tax legislation is constantly evolving and continuous learning is required in order to keep up-to-date.
Working for a medium sized firm appealed to me because whilst I get exposure to Mercer & Hole’s diverse range of clients and gain a broad experience, I am still able to work in a close-knit environment where everyone knows each other (rather than being lost in a sea of other trainees).
From day one I was encouraged to take responsibility for my own work and I now have an interesting and challenging case allocation, which will no doubt allow me to build on and improve my technical ability. My role at this stage involves mainly tax compliance eg preparing tax returns, claims and elections, responding to client queries, liaising with HM Revenue and Customs and other professionals, preparing accounts, remittance tracing.
The first stage of the professional qualifications is the ATT, which acts as a stepping stone for the CTA. For both, day release college courses are provided, which are then followed by more intensive revision courses nearer the exam dates. The classes are very exam focused and the teaching is of a high standard. The tutors are very accessible, although it is reassuring to know that I could also refer to anyone in my department for help if needed.
The tax department in the office has a friendly and supportive atmosphere. Furthermore, embedded in the culture, is the emphasis on a healthy work/life balance. We are not expected to work overtime and the availability of flexi-time enables us to organise our lives more effectively. I find this work environment ideal, as it can be quite demanding to study for the exams whilst simultaneously juggling on-the-job training and personal commitments.
Having passed the ATT exams, I now have the CTA exams to look forward to, as well as any other challenges the future brings. —Denise Yau
