The Tax Institute’s most recent competition, which offered a
prize of $4,950 worth of education
with the Institute, was won by Chantelle Rossiter, a Manager, Business
Advisory & Taxation, with Hall Chadwick.
prize of $4,950 worth of education
with the Institute, was won by Chantelle Rossiter, a Manager, Business
Advisory & Taxation, with Hall Chadwick.
We spoke with Chantelle about her career to date and the significance
of professional education.
of professional education.
Congratulations on winning our education competition. How long have you
worked in tax-related areas?
I
wouldn’t describe my work as being in a core tax advisory role. It’s more
general accounting and tax (business services), which I’ve done since I was a cadet around 14 years
ago.
wouldn’t describe my work as being in a core tax advisory role. It’s more
general accounting and tax (business services), which I’ve done since I was a cadet around 14 years
ago.
I'm
not trying to make the jump into tax specifically, but the professional environment
is heading towards the advisory space, particularly with the growth of technology and
automation in compliance. So, the more expertise I can gain through
education, the better. It’s
good to have the answers to clients’ questions and to be the person that
clients trust to know their situation, in a broad sense.
not trying to make the jump into tax specifically, but the professional environment
is heading towards the advisory space, particularly with the growth of technology and
automation in compliance. So, the more expertise I can gain through
education, the better. It’s
good to have the answers to clients’ questions and to be the person that
clients trust to know their situation, in a broad sense.
How did you begin your career?
I
started as a cadet with Bentleys MRI which, soon after, merged with RSM. I spent
the next 10 or so years at RSM, making my way from cadet to senior manager. I
then spent a year in a smaller suburban firm, before coming back to the city to
Hall Chadwick as a manager in its business services division.
started as a cadet with Bentleys MRI which, soon after, merged with RSM. I spent
the next 10 or so years at RSM, making my way from cadet to senior manager. I
then spent a year in a smaller suburban firm, before coming back to the city to
Hall Chadwick as a manager in its business services division.
Were you thinking of going back to study before you saw the competition?
Not
specifically, but I have always expected to do more study. When the competition was announced, my husband (who is also an
accountant) was actively considering getting his Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) qualification. He saw the competition
and said, “Maybe I should enter, and perhaps I'll win and can then do my CTA.”
specifically, but I have always expected to do more study. When the competition was announced, my husband (who is also an
accountant) was actively considering getting his Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) qualification. He saw the competition
and said, “Maybe I should enter, and perhaps I'll win and can then do my CTA.”
I
said, “Oh well, maybe I'll enter too and we can do the subjects together.”
said, “Oh well, maybe I'll enter too and we can do the subjects together.”
In
the end, I entered and he didn't.
the end, I entered and he didn't.
Then
I began thinking, “That sounds interesting.”
I began thinking, “That sounds interesting.”
At
RSM my role was heavily focused on SMSFs , even though I was still in
business services, and since then I’ve started thinking more about whether I
should continue down that route, or whether I should do something else and
learn other things, to keep my broad business services expertise at the top of
its game.
RSM my role was heavily focused on SMSFs , even though I was still in
business services, and since then I’ve started thinking more about whether I
should continue down that route, or whether I should do something else and
learn other things, to keep my broad business services expertise at the top of
its game.
When
I entered the competition, I thought, “I can do my CTA too,” but that's probably
not what I’ll use the prize for. I'm keener on keeping up my education in terms
of a higher level of focus – getting more high-level knowledge in something
else other than superannuation.
Having
won the competition, I'll probably do a couple of subjects that may not
necessarily contribute towards either the Graduate Diploma of Applied
Tax Law or
the CTA credential, but will involve things I want to know more about, at a
higher, different level.
won the competition, I'll probably do a couple of subjects that may not
necessarily contribute towards either the Graduate Diploma of Applied
Tax Law or
the CTA credential, but will involve things I want to know more about, at a
higher, different level.
In that way, I guess you can tailor the competition prize to your specific
needs and the needs of your clients.
Definitely.
That's exactly what I’ll do.
That's exactly what I’ll do.
I'm
finding that now, at Hall Chadwick, the client base and the work is different
to anything I've done before. Not more or less complicated. Just different. So
now I want to learn a bit more about some of these things that will help my
work life – especially in corporate tax.
.
finding that now, at Hall Chadwick, the client base and the work is different
to anything I've done before. Not more or less complicated. Just different. So
now I want to learn a bit more about some of these things that will help my
work life – especially in corporate tax.
.
There's so much more that I can get involved in than I
could have done in the past.
It's
opening my eyes and I’m asking the question – what is it that I actually want
to do? What areas do I want to learn about? Because there’s so much more out
there that I've never really considered before.
opening my eyes and I’m asking the question – what is it that I actually want
to do? What areas do I want to learn about? Because there’s so much more out
there that I've never really considered before.
Have you thought about exactly what you'll study and when?
I
think I’ll do the third subject in the CTA program – CTA3 Advisory . It will give me the CTA
qualification, but that's not why I'm doing it. It's more about how that
particular subject is structured on how to give tax advice.
think I’ll do the third subject in the CTA program – CTA3 Advisory . It will give me the CTA
qualification, but that's not why I'm doing it. It's more about how that
particular subject is structured on how to give tax advice.
The
subject is very practical and I think will help a lot, learning and getting feedback on how to write different pieces of advice or doing them in
different ways, will be beneficial.
subject is very practical and I think will help a lot, learning and getting feedback on how to write different pieces of advice or doing them in
different ways, will be beneficial.
Do you have a long-term plan for your career, in terms of what you will do
over the next 10 years?
Yes,
definitely, as much as you can have a plan for that amount of time. I have
always had my eye on becoming a partner in an accounting firm – and
particularly a mid-tier firm rather than a small firm.
definitely, as much as you can have a plan for that amount of time. I have
always had my eye on becoming a partner in an accounting firm – and
particularly a mid-tier firm rather than a small firm.
I hope the competition win will help you in a small way with your ambition.
I
think it will. It will be very helpful, in the short term, in ensuring I have a
thorough base of knowledge in a number of tax concepts. While I’m still finding
my feet in my role at Hall Chadwick, I think it will definitely be highly
useful to me.
think it will. It will be very helpful, in the short term, in ensuring I have a
thorough base of knowledge in a number of tax concepts. While I’m still finding
my feet in my role at Hall Chadwick, I think it will definitely be highly
useful to me.
_______________________________________
Find out more about studying tax with The Tax Institute
here.
You can also enter our next
competition and try your luck at winning $1,690 worth of education.
You can also enter our next
competition and try your luck at winning $1,690 worth of education.
