Tax Associate Review
at PwC
Higher Level Apprenticeship
Accounting
London
Review Submitted: February 2023
Overall Rating
3.2 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
2.5/5
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Overview of Role
2/5
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Skills Development
3.2/5
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Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
3/5
My role involves working on client projects across a range of teams, such as Transfer Pricing, Indirect Tax and Corporate Tax to assist clients with Tax compliance and queries. On a day to day basis, I usually am working on VAT returns, assisting PwC’s compliance centre with the preparation of tax returns, and drafting advice to clients on technical queries.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
2/5
I have enjoyed studying for the ACA/CTA qualification as is a key part of my Apprenticeship, and I have also enjoyed seeing how this is applied in practice at work. I would enjoy it more if I had the opportunity to get involved in more technical work and less admin tasks.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
2/5
I have developed my communication skills as this is a key area of my role. It is important to be able to communicate in a professional manner to clients, and be able to adapt your communication depending on the audience. Sometimes it is not appropriate to use technical language when explaining issues to clients.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
3/5
My programme is well structured, our training provider Kaplan organises our review meetings and liaises with my employer to arrange our college tuition for our professional qualification. From the start of my programme, I had a clear timeline of when exams are to be sat, and when key dates for my Apprenticeship are, such as the end point assessment.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
3/5
My employer provides us support in terms of ensuring we are given study leave for exams, and tuition is in our work time rather than free time. However, the Apprenticeship tasks are largely left for the employees to complete independently and this is not given as much support, and our training provider does instead.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
4/5
My training provider provides a lot of support when working towards our professional qualification, as they have several academic helplines in which tutors respond to questions 7 days a week. This has been very helpful for me when studying at home and on weekends. In addition, they provide health and wellbeing support too.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
3/5
I feel that the tutors that teach us from our training provider have all had practical experience, which is useful as they highlight areas we learn in theory that are very useful in practice. Therefore, my qualification definitely helps me to perform better in my role as I have a understanding of the technical queries clients are asking for help with.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
3/5
Yes, there are lots of extra-curricular activities. There are lots of sports teams you can join, there are always social events being organised by teams and lots of networking meetings in the office. Social events are also varied so not always centered around drinking or sports, there is a focus to make the socials as inclusive as possible.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend PwC to a friend?
Yes
Why?
They are a reputable employer that provide lots of benefits to employees, such as flexible working arrangements which is highly valued post pandemic. In addition, they are supportive if you want to study for a professional qualification are there are endless opportunities within the firm, there is a role for everyone.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to PwC?
Be prepared for lots of exams and study days if you are studying towards the ACA/CTA qualification. I would say my top tip would be make lots of connections. Everyone talks about networking, but it doesn't have to feel pressured and forced. Building relationships with colleagues you work alongside is so important for opportunities.
