Student careers in tax

The world of tax is constantly changing. Rapid globalization and increased competition means tax is playing a vital role in shaping political and business agendas. In this new, ever-changing world, clients rely on KPMG’s tax teams to help them achieve a competitive advantage.

We develop tax professionals who are up to this challenge. That means some of the best-in-class training, exposure to global experiences, and collaboration with leading multi-national organizations and some of the brightest tax minds out there. You will learn new ways of thinking and develop acute insights that help clients make informed choices with confidence.

A career in tax at KPMG is an excellent first step in your professional services career. It can further develop your analytical skills, time management and communication, as well as develop your business acumen through the wide variety of clients you will collaborate with. You will experience on-the-job learning while being supported by your engagement teams, mentors, and peers. 

When you join tax at KPMG as a CPA (Chartered Professional Accountant) candidate, you will also be enrolled in our CPA training and mentorship program. This program supports you in the lead up to writing the CFE (Common Final Exam). KPMG provides training through boot camps, case writing, marking, feedback and mentorship, as well as a large support network and the practical experience required to obtain your professional designation.   

The career opportunities in tax at KPMG are plentiful. There are many service lines within the tax function including Enterprise Tax, Indirect/Direct Tax, International Tax, US Tax, Mergers and Acquisitions Tax, Transfer Pricing and Global Mobility Services. Tax services also have the opportunity for cross functional collaboration. You may find yourself working directly with the audit team while completing a Tax Provision for a corporate entity or working with a lawyer while completing a Tax Planning project.

KPMG offers tax services to a variety of clients within different industries. There are opportunities to work with public clients, private clients, and not-for-profit clients. Some of the industries in which KPMG clients operate include:

• Financial Services
• Banking
• Insurance
• Leasing
• Wealth Asset Management
• Mining

• Real Estate
• Consumer and Industrial Markets
• Owner-Managed Private Enterprises
• Technology, Media & Telecommunications
• Intelligent Delivery & Innovation Tax Group

Tax also has many Speciality groups, which reside in different office locations, that work cohesively with the entire Tax Practice. Our Speciality groups include:

• US Corporate Tax
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• International Corporate Tax
• Global Mobility Services

• Transfer Pricing
• Indirect Tax
• Tax Incentive Practice
• Tax Transformation

With increasing compliance complexities that come with changing rules and regulations, comprehending the scale and range of work we deliver to our clients is vast. Collaboratively as One Team, KPMG Tax professionals work together to provide services to many of the world’s largest organizations.

The KPMG Tax practice provides the following services:

Canadian companies operating in multiple jurisdictions must deal with numerous government authorities and frequent changes to tax laws and regulations. Canadian Corporate Tax professionals assist businesses in understanding how to effectively respond to these changes.

Using extensive industry experience and by continuously monitoring legislative, judicial, and administrative policy changes, Indirect Tax professionals help manage indirect tax responsibilities and the associated costs to each business.

With a deep understanding of US and international tax matters, international tax professionals provide cross border tax advice and planning that is tailored to each business to help ensure they are able to adapt and respond quickly to changes, and mitigate risks.

KPMG’s affiliated law firm, KPMG Law LLP, provides a suite of wide-ranging tax and immigration law services. They offer valuable insight into changes in immigration laws and policies, and appropriate Human Resources and Global Mobility strategies.

A day-in-the-life in tax differs based on the tax group you are in. Common duties may include communicating with a client or a tax authority (such as the Canada Revenue Agency, Revenu Quebec or Internal Revenue Service), utilizing skills to analyze data in Microsoft Excel, and reading technical documents or memorandums for learning.

A junior tax staff member in a Canadian corporate tax group can expect to be involved in the preparation of Tax Forms, Corporate Tax Returns (T2), Trust Returns (T3) or tax provision work completed for financial statement audits. There is always something new to learn as tax legislation changes, and an endless amount of tax technical topics at your fingertips. Different tax groups will have different duties, but one thing is for sure: every day is different, and each day has a new challenge!

If you are interested in learning more about what a career in tax could look like, check out our Experience a Day with KPMG in Canada program! This virtual, self-guided program is an opportunity for you to hear from KPMG employees, learn valuable and transferable skills that are beneficial for a career in tax, and explore this potential career path.