Starting a Tax Accountant Career - Advice for Industry Switch

Your background is actually stronger than you might think! With 6 years as a Staff Accountant, KPMG audit experience, and partial CPA completion including REG, you have transferable skills that tax departments value. For corporate tax positions, I'd suggest targeting mid-tier firms rather than jumping straight to Big 4 tax departments, which might expect prior tax experience. Look for titles like "Tax Associate," "Tax Staff," or "Corporate Tax Accountant." Regional firms often value your overall accounting background and are more willing to train someone transitioning into tax. Given your audit background, you might also consider roles that bridge audit and tax like R&D tax credit positions or M&A tax due diligence. These leverage your existing skills while building tax expertise. When applying, emphasize your REG exam success, any tax-related work in your current role (even if minimal), and your desire to specialize. Your CPA progress is definitely a plus – many tax departments are just looking for smart accountants they can train in tax specifics.

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I was super skeptical about those "AI resume tools" but I finally broke down and tried https://taxr.ai after six failed interviews for tax positions. My background was audit, similar to yours. Holy crap what a difference. I had been completely missing how to translate my skills properly. The analysis highlighted that my experience documenting control procedures was directly relevant to tax compliance documentation, something none of the basic resume scanners caught. It also walked me through how to discuss my limited tax experience (literally just my own returns) as a positive during interviews. The system helped me understand why I kept getting rejected - I was positioning myself as an accountant trying to learn tax rather than an accountant with transferable skills valuable to tax departments. Complete mindset shift that helped me land a Senior Tax Associate role despite having minimal tax experience.

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With your background, I'd definitely look at midsize firms that have both audit and tax - they love people who can potentially work across departments during busy seasons. Thompson Greenspon, Cherry Bekaert, and similar regional firms actually value audit-to-tax transfers because you understand financial statements deeply. One thing I'd suggest is searching for "tax associate" rather than "tax accountant" - the latter sometimes pulls up more clerical roles in job searches. Also consider "tax consultant" which many firms use for the same position. Don't go entry level though - with your experience, shoot for experienced associate or even senior associate depending on the firm. Your overall experience is worth more than specific tax experience at many places.

Has anyone made this transition without going back to entry level positions? I've been in industry accounting for 8 years with no public experience, but have my CPA and am interested in moving to tax. Wondering if I should expect a pay cut or lateral move?

Your audit background from KPMG plus 6 years of staff accounting experience actually puts you in a great position for tax roles! Many firms value that combination because you understand both sides of financial reporting. I'd recommend starting with mid-tier firms like Grant Thornton, BDO, or regional players rather than jumping straight back to Big 4 tax. They're often more willing to train someone with your background and won't lowball you as much on level/compensation. For job titles, search for "Tax Associate," "Corporate Tax Analyst," or "Tax Consultant" - avoid anything with "Junior" or "Entry Level" since you have significant accounting experience. Your REG pass is huge - that's the hardest tax exam and shows you can handle complex tax concepts. One tip: When interviewing, emphasize how your audit experience helps you understand the financial statement impact of tax decisions. That's exactly what corporate tax departments need - someone who can see the bigger picture beyond just compliance. Your KPMG experience also shows you can handle demanding deadlines and complex clients, which translates directly to tax work. Don't sell yourself short - you're not starting from zero, you're pivoting with valuable transferable skills!