Corporate Tax Associate Review

I work in the large and international Corporate Tax team. On a daily basis I prepare tax returns and give companies taxation advice.

The school leaver programme has provided me with many new skills due to both the internal and external training. I have been at Grant Thornton for a year and a half and have already gained my ATT qualification. My role has tought me how to best communicate with clients when giving them advice and when attending client meetings. I have also gained a great insight into how businesses operate and both the commercial and technical impacts when making business decisions.

I have really enjoyed learning new things and it has been invaluable experience that I would reccomend to everybody. The team I work in is great, the culture at Grant Thornton is one of the best, really relaxed and thrives of its people. It was exactly what i thought the role would encompass.

The reason I joined Grant Thornton was because they had a personal touch that meant I was not just a number when applying. You are rewarded well year on year with pay rises after your annual review. However, my team does not always seem to appreciate certain people meaning that favourites may arise.

The programme is very well structured with a clear path on what you need to do and how you get to where you want to be. People managers offer training and development support and everyone around you is willing to help if you have questions. In my case, I was not initially booked onto the correct courses, but once i raised concern these were changed and it was fine.

My training provider is Kaplan, who offer lots of support. You are able to reach out to the tutors at any time and will offer extra support if you are struggling.

Grant Thornton offer lots of support both in terms of training and career development. They offer secondments and placements abroad and will support you if you are struggling in any aspect.

The starting salary for trainees in Milton Keynes is £20,000, this will depend on if you are a grad or school leaver and the office that you work at. This is a great starting salary for someone age 18 and with the pay rises of around £3k per year it is a well paid apprenticeship. However, there is alot of work and studying involved.

I organise a company event every year because it was something that I wanted to do. As a result the company were happy for me to organise this and get other team members invovled. We have team socials every few weeks and quarterly meals with the partners and directors of our team. We also sometimes have beer on a friday which is great for socialising with different departments.

Yes

It is a great company that are very focused on their culture and making it a great place to work. You are offered lots of independance to go down the route that suits you whilst having support along the way.

My one tip for applying to Grant Thornton would be to be yourself. Due to the focus that they have on culture they are looking for people who can make the company exciting and create and impact into the everyday working enviroment. Make sure that you are approachable and can work in a team, try to stand out from the crowd during the application process. I did this through doing work experience here which we run every year.