Meet the man who swapped the vast landscapes of Australia for the bustling streets of Guildford, and the mines for the complexities of tax. In this candid chat, we delve into the life of a BDO tax specialist who's made a home away from home, right here in the UK. With a background as diverse as the clients he serves, he shares his unexpected entry into the world of accountancy, the joys of working in a supportive environment like BDO Guildford, and how he strikes that elusive work-life harmony. Whether it's navigating the intricate tax system or strumming his guitar post-lockdown, discover how BDO's ethos of quality and balance resonates through every aspect of his day. Join us as we uncover the human stories behind the numbers and debunk the myths of the accounting industry.
Hi Andrew, we've heard you have an interesting background! Fancy telling us more about it?
No worries!
Before I came to BDO, I grew up in Australia. I spent some time working in the mines to save up and travel; that was always a passion and something I wanted to experience while I could.
Where I first moved to the UK just for experience and for travel, I then met my wife soon after. I had already made my mind up to stay a bit longer, but here I am, many years later.
With that decision, it meant that I needed a career. It sounds a bit crazy, but I’d been studying anatomy at uni and I ended up in accountancy – luckily my first job was in tax and that’s where I’ve been ever since.
The UK was a great place for me to earn some money, to travel and a great spot to see Europe from. It’s a bit difficult to do that regularly from Australia!
My wife is from near Guildford and we found ourselves naturally drawn to friends and family there – it’s nice to be a bit further out to be honest; we can go for walks and being in the hills straight from the door is a life-saver.
We did spend some time in Australia but came back in 2020. Our kids started school around that point so having a shorter commute but still having the clients that BDO attracts but closer to home was amazing.
Wow, quite the journey. Let's talk about your entry to tax as a profession then. How did that start?
Yeah, so originally I started in mining to get some quick cash; I knew it was always a short term thing so coming to the UK was high on my agenda. Getting a short term job working as a filing clerk in another firm really set me on the road to tax.
I actually got my first job in accounting by accident – on my CV it said “filing clerk” and they took that to mean something to do with tax filing, which it wasn’t – it was just about putting things in alphabetical order! That was enough to get a foot in the door and they liked me, so that’s how I got started in tax.
I spent about six or seven years working in transfer pricing, after starting in personal tax.
Now, BDO has helped me to make sure I was coming into the right role and that they'd be able to support me and ensuring I wasn’t setting myself up to fail.
So why do you stay in tax and what makes you enjoy it?
From the outset, starting my ACCA exams in accounting seemed like a decent, stable profession. It just so happened that the job I got was in a small firm, doing personal tax.
During that time, I found it interesting enough and stimulating and versatile enough that I wanted to stay in it. One of the good things is that as well as dealing with numbers, we're also dealing with people as well as tax rules. It becomes almost quasi-legal; you can be researching tax rules as well as engaging with clients, so there are plenty of different facets to it.
At BDO, there’s nothing structurally stopping me progressing – advancing my career is up to me and being in a regional office means no limit to this.
So it sounds like there was a decision to be made; why did you choose BDO and more specifically, why BDO Guildford?
I’ve been at small, medium and large firms but the things that really stand out for me at BDO – in particular Guildford where I’m based – are that it’s a really friendly, collaborative, supportive working environment.
For me personally, it’s close to home so it means a short commute. Because of the firm that we are, we still get very interesting clients who provide some really good challenges to work on. I find that very rewarding in itself.
BDO Guildford is very close to the high street so you can do Christmas shopping at lunchtime, there are loads of nice food places, but also it’s close to London as well so means we can travel to meet clients with that flexibility as well.
Lots of clients actually sit nearby so where they previously would have used London-based firms, they now have the access to us instead.
In Guildford itself, it’s a beautiful place – there’s a castle, it’s nice to walk around during lunchtime and gives off a real local vibe. We offer that London-based skillset in a more local, approachable location.
That's why!
Nice. What is it that you actually do on a daily basis then?
My day-to-day will change depending on what is required, and what the demand from the clients is.
At the moment, we’re preparing for the next tax cycle but we also have a window where we’re looking at more advisory work – whilst that goes throughout the year, it has time frames as well. That could be anything from capital gains tax advice in people selling their businesses, right through to people leaving the UK with complex international tax affairs.
The UK has one of the longest tax codes in the world – I think it’s only second to India – so in terms of primary legislation, it’s pretty complicated. There are additional layers of anti-avoidance which are put in all the time; this means more and more complexity, so navigating something that seems simple on the face of it can be difficult.
Coming from Australia, it’s quite strange with the differences between HMRC and the Australian tax system. The ATO is quite forward thinking and aggressive, but the HMRC will adopt the best of that – sometimes it can be adversarial so we have to make sure we’re following the legislation, not just following HMRC guidance.
What about some of the misconceptions you might have had?
People think about the accounting industry – particularly the bigger firms – as just number firms, churning out spreadsheets 12+ hours a day. It’s really not like that, particularly in a local firm like BDO Guildford where it’s a lot more collaborative and friendly as an environment.
We don’t do super long days, the firm recognises that we all need a work/life balance – that’s the way to get the best out of people if they’re rested and enjoying life. We do our hours and we work hard, but even during the busy periods the leaders and the partners acknowledge that we need to have a balance. Our whole firm ethos is about quality, so being healthy and rested means we’re given the chance to do our best at work.
There’s definitely a perception in the industry that you’ll need to work all hours of the day in order to get the job done. The reality is that we’re more about providing quality work and doing the right thing for the client rather than putting in hour after hour on overtime.
At BDO, a work/life balance actually does exist!
OK, then how do you ensure you get that work/life balance right?
Working at BDO Guildford means my commute is shorter and closer to home – it gives me the flexibility to get to the tennis club after work or go for a run, so I have more freedom to live my life outside work as well. I even try to play my guitar which I bought during lockdown – not as much as I like to, but at least I know I have the time to do it!
The one thing you can’t buy is time, so having more of that means automatically a better work/life balance.
When I used to work in London, I was commuting about an hour and a half every day, so that shorter commute has just enabled a much better lifestyle for me. It’s huge for me!
It's clear that life at BDO Guildford is more than just crunching numbers and navigating tax codes. It's about the people, the place, and the passion for providing top-notch service while maintaining a lifestyle that values time both in and out of the office. Our tax specialist's journey from the rugged terrains of Australia to the charming streets of Guildford is a testament to BDO's commitment to fostering talent from all walks of life. With a supportive team, challenging work, and a firm that champions work-life balance, it's no wonder he's found his stride here. So, whether you're a local or from lands afar, BDO Guildford proves that you can find your niche, excel in your career, and still have time to strum that guitar or hit the tennis courts. That's the BDO way—exceptional service delivered by genuine, savvy people who know that life, like tax, is all about finding the right balance.