Expert reveals what to expect from tax study


Strong tax foundations are key to career success and
education is the pathway. Here’s what you can expect from The Tax Institute.

Patrick Catena, CTA, is an independent consultant and CTA2B Advanced lecturer at The Tax Institute.
His career spans public and commercial practice, and international tax
experience in continental Europe working for one of the big 4.

“The fundamentals have not changed within the Australian
tax industry, however the technical aspects are continually evolving” says
Patrick.

“To be a proficient tax professional you need to have a fundamental
understanding of our various tax laws and be able to work through relevant tax cases,
ATO rulings etc.”

“The Government is continually updating the laws regarding
international tax in order to ensure Australia is able to tax profits that have
been earned in this country,” he explains.

“Australian tax professionals need to have a thorough understanding
of domestic taxation laws and regulations together with a basic understanding
of the taxation laws of countries where their clients have various operations.

“The challenge for tax professionals is to keep up to date
with the ever-changing tax laws in Australia. I am a great believer in
education for tax professionals,” continues Patrick.




Learning
based on theory and practice

The tax profession can be a great career choice as long as
practitioners get the basics right. Patrick advises new practitioners to start
with the foundation studies together with on-the-job experience. Studying the core
subjects to build your expertise to Chartered Tax Adviser status with
CTA1 Foundations, CTA2A and CTA2B Advanced, and eventually CTA3 Advisory
would be the next step.

Patrick says that, “studying The Tax Institute education
program will provide tax practitioners the fundamentals they need, above any
other program in Australia.”

“Students
study the theory and during workshops explore how it will operate in practical
situations.

“The Tax Institute’s education program is based on real
life scenarios and advice you would provide a client; especially CTA3 Advisory,
where students are putting 

letters of advice together,” he explains.


You get six weeks to write a letter of advice on a
specific tax technical case study (where you have a choice of four topics). You
will then receive a “late breaking fact”, and would be required to adapt your
letter of advice under exam conditions.

“They're really great practical experiences with realistic
problems that students need to work through to provide the best solution for
their make-believe client, so to speak,” says Patrick.


Additional ways tax practitioners can maintain a strong
foundation in this fast-changing landscape is to attend
CPD events.

“I keep coming back to tax events because you're listening
to established peers and are able to learn from them and network with them,” he
explains.

“Ongoing learning is extremely valuable to your career because
you will come out as an even better tax professional,” he says.

It’s not too late to hit your career goals in
2018.
Stand out
from your peers with an internationally respected Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA)
designation.
Enrol before 5 November to save $100.

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