Are you wondering what it’s like to work as a tax intern at our Auckland office? Here’s A Day in the Life of Daniel Mulholland, who worked for us over the year-end holiday break.
Hello, my name is Daniel Mulholland and I started as an intern in the taxation services team at the Baker Tilly Staples Rodway Auckland office on 25 November 2024. My last day was 21 February 2024.
6:15am: I wake to my alarm and begin my morning rituals to get started for the day.
7:45am: A short train commute into work allows me time to get settled at my desk early and prepare a plan for the day.
8:30am: The first task of the day is to research a client tax query for one of the department directors. This involves searching for relevant case law and preparing a judgement for the director’s review. This is a great opportunity to deepen my understanding of complex tax issues and learn about processes and research conventions from senior team members.
9:30am: Today is the weekly tax department meeting. All important matters for the week are discussed and team members provide updates on any legislative changes and team queries.
10am: Following the weekly meeting, I have been invited to sit in on a director meeting with prospective clients. This is a fascinating insight into the public-facing aspect of the role and presents an opportunity to learn about international tax and the many implications of administering foreign-sourced income. This forms part of the Shadow a Leader initiative set up by Baker Tilly Staples Rodway Auckland.
11am: After reviewing my notes from the client meeting, I get back to work on my research task from earlier in the morning. I prepare my findings and format them according to the company template, ready for the director’s review.
12:30pm: Today all the interns attend an intern lunchtime training session. These are regular meetings that feature talks from senior members of the different service lines. This session involves a presentation on financial modelling from Hayden in Business Advisory Services (BAS), in addition to a talk on asking effective questions, led by our People and Culture department. These sessions provide a wider context of Baker Tilly Staples Rodway’s services, and the way in which different service lines operate. After the meeting, a few of the interns make the short walk down to the waterfront for a quick break before heading back up to the office.
2pm: Returning from lunch, I am assigned a company income tax return by one of my managers. This requires me to collate client documentation and upload the files into our tax software. As interns, we are all trained on our respective software packages, and there is plenty of help on hand from all members of our team. I keep a running document of all new functions and processes I come across, and review these when completing similar tasks.
4pm: The day concludes with work on a GST Return for a client. Specific circumstances require that a cover letter is prepared to accompany the return. Preparing correspondence for Inland Revenue is a fascinating part of the job and the wealth of expertise around me ensures that I always feel supported and at ease.
5pm: I say goodbye to my team and start my commute home. Tomorrow is the monthly team lunch at a nearby restaurant – I’m very much looking forward to it!