Tax adviser

Career path and progression

With experience, you could:

• specialise in certain types of work, such as VAT, inheritance or corporation tax
• move between the public and private sector to more senior roles
• set up your own company to provide tax consultancy services to businesses or individuals

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• maths knowledge
• customer service skills
• ambition and a desire to succeed
• the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
• excellent verbal communication skills
• analytical thinking skills
• knowledge of economics and accounting
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Related subjects

Most relevant

• Mathematics - Tax advisers work with numbers constantly – calculating tax liabilities, analysing financial data, and checking that figures on tax returns are accurate. Strong maths skills are essential for understanding percentages, allowances, and how different tax rates apply to different levels of income or profit.
• Accounting - Tax advisers need to understand financial statements, profit and loss accounts, and how businesses record their income and expenses. Much of their work involves interpreting accounting information to work out how much tax a client owes and identifying legitimate ways to reduce it.
• Economics - Tax advisers need to understand how the wider economy works, including government fiscal policy, inflation, and how tax changes affect businesses and individuals. This helps them advise clients on how economic shifts and budget announcements might impact their tax position.
• Business - Tax advisers work closely with businesses of all sizes, so they need to understand how companies operate, how they're structured, and how financial decisions affect tax obligations. Knowledge of business concepts like cash flow, profit margins, and company ownership is used daily.
• Law - Tax advisers interpret and apply tax legislation to their clients' situations, and they need to stay up to date with frequent changes in tax law. They also negotiate with HMRC and must ensure that all advice they give complies with legal requirements.

Also relevant

• English Language - Tax advisers write detailed reports, explain complex tax rules in plain language to clients, and produce clear correspondence for HMRC. Being able to communicate precisely – both in writing and in conversation – is important when dealing with technical financial and legal information.
• Computer Science - Tax advisers increasingly use specialist tax software, data analysis tools, and automated systems to process returns and model different tax scenarios. Understanding how these digital tools work at a deeper level can help when handling large datasets or troubleshooting software issues.
• Politics - Tax advisers need to follow government policy closely, as changes announced in budgets and spending reviews directly affect the tax rules they work with. Understanding how political decisions shape fiscal policy helps them anticipate changes and advise clients proactively.