[Anonymous]

Just curious. Been hearing horror stories and I start in two months. Hoping to get this exam out of the way before.

[Anonymous]

I don't plan to spend more than 3-4 years working for the Big 4 (Risk Advisory). I'll put in the time while i'm young and physically able to perform the grueling, mundane tasks for a ridiculous amount of hours every week. After that its on to industry or MBA where hopefully i'll have a life again! That's not too naive…is it?

[Study Monk]

It's only for 3.5/4 months of the year for tax right? Or do the tax guys work a lot over 40 hours the rest of the year? Because if they don't maybe the average work week would just be over 50 hours for the year.

I spoke to an ancient wise man who sent me on a mushroom induced journey through an ancient forest to find the key to passing the CPA exam. A talking spider monkey told me to throw the last of my drinking water in the dirt to find what I was looking for. So I followed his instructions and the following message appeared in the soil:

"Do 5000 multiple choice questions for each section"

[Anonymous]

When I worked tax, we'd work a bit of OT through the Sept and Oct deadlines, but pretty much it was “just” 3.5 months of the year. However, for me, at the age of 22, 6 long days a week for 3.5 months was more than I could physically or mentally keep up with. Besides, in 3.5 months, a LOT can happen. My boss's mom got aggressive cancer near the start of tax season; she passed away a couple days after tax season; guess who was the only kid that wasn't able to spend much time with her in those last days? He was a sole proprietor at the time, so that changes things some (maybe in a larger firm he could have gotten time off to be with her…?), but it just illustrates that 3.5 months of being a slave to work can be enough to miss things in life!

[Study Monk]

@ Lilla

With a tax background was it easy or hard to transition to private accounting?

side note: I would just tell my job that I need a leave to take care of my mom and they could fire me if they need to. Being a sole proprietor is most likely different, but even then I would probably outsource some of the work.

I spoke to an ancient wise man who sent me on a mushroom induced journey through an ancient forest to find the key to passing the CPA exam. A talking spider monkey told me to throw the last of my drinking water in the dirt to find what I was looking for. So I followed his instructions and the following message appeared in the soil:

"Do 5000 multiple choice questions for each section"

[Doc_Shades]

@KBinMN I think my “moment of clarity” was talking to my buddy who works at WB Mason, and finding out he makes like 65k a year driving the truck around and delivering boxes of paper. Or the fact that a full time cashier at costco makes 49k a year with benefits… plenty of examples like that. Becoming a CPA is one hell of an accomplishment, and I will be ecstatic if I ever finish the exam. It just doesn't seem like the juice is worth the squeeze in the grand scheme of things.

[KBinMN]

I'll be honest I work at a smaller firm and make $54k before YE bonus (401k and HSA also). But this is my 8th tax season. I've looked around a little but it seems like the bigger money is downtown working 70 hr weeks during busy season.

A bunch of buddies work at the same company none graduated college. They all make more than me and get a vehicle to drive around in basically for free (for personal use as well). Their stress level is nearly non-existent, while I have deadlines and projects that have to be worked on right now.

I do some tax and some audit so I've met a few people and see their pay. One controller makes $80k. Nice right? Yeah guy works 7 days a week year round.

I need to find a way out.

[Doc_Shades]

“Yeah guy works 7 days a week year round.”

Ouch. Anyway I hear ya on a way out, I've barely started and I'm already exploring my options. I took a large muni police department's exam not too long ago, and have been researching various fields if I end up wanting to go back to school after getting some money in the bank. I don't want to end up stuck in a grueling 7 days a week/get off of work in the wee hours type of job but with a family to support and no other options… anyway, sorry for straying off topic. Good luck KB.

[acamp]

I think its easy to get lost in the up front amount some of these jobs pay without consideration of the actual job and maximum potential. The cashier at Costco is dealing with random people of the public every minute of every day, no thank you. The UPS drivers often have forced overtime (yeah pay is nice) but schlepping boxes 60 hours a week isn't exactly a great time. Neither have significant upward mobility.

So yes, its easy to say, what the hell is the end game of working like a slave for relatively crappy pay?! The end game to me is that our industry values experience. I've been on plenty of clients where former big4 auditors are making very comfortable wages while working very comfortable hours.

(all that said, I think there should be some jobshare where I can operate a jackhammer 10 hours per week and the jackhammer guy can do accounting 10 hours per week)

Self proclaimed: Highest ratio of Replies to Others v. Posts Created on A71

California CPA - Big4 Aud Manager Alum - Private Accounting at Startups

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California CPA

[Study Monk]

I agree with acamp. The stress of a fast paced retail environment can be as emotionally draining than working at a public accounting firm. Imagine really dumb people talking down to you all day. The Costco guy making 54k most likely has been there for 10 years or more, since most retail jobs start at around 8 to 10 dollar an hour and give you 3% to 5% increases each year. Unlike in accounting, when you leave a retail job for another retail job your pay shoots back down to starting retail pay regardless of your “years of experience”.

I spoke to an ancient wise man who sent me on a mushroom induced journey through an ancient forest to find the key to passing the CPA exam. A talking spider monkey told me to throw the last of my drinking water in the dirt to find what I was looking for. So I followed his instructions and the following message appeared in the soil:

"Do 5000 multiple choice questions for each section"

[Anonymous]

@StudyMonk – It wasn't hard, but at the same time, there was virtually nothing that overlapped. Like…I understand the basic concepts of sales tax since my tax office prepared sales tax returns, but my private accounting office mostly works with other state's sales tax, so my KY sales tax knowledge hasn't been useful yet! So, it's not that taxes made private accounting hard, but it didn't help much either. The non-taxes things that our office did (bookkeeping, invoicing, etc.) was more useful than the taxes, but even that wasn't too useful.

[GSU-CPA]

@KBinMN

I feel the same way you do!!! We went to school for 5-6 years , had to double major or get a masters degree, paid alot of money for school and/or got in debt, andstill have to pass one of the hardest exams known to mankind only to be working 60-100 hrs a week making 53k.

I dont care how you put it that is not WORTH IT.

My friends on the contrary went to school for 4 years, didnt have to get masters or get anohter major, didnt have to pass CPA and are starting off right away 60k a year as CS majors. They complain when they have tow work 5-10 hrs past their regular 40 hour mark.

See it would help to know that if you work hard and make manager/partner that your pay would increase and your hours would decrease but it seems like if you do make manager and partner you will be making that money 100k-200k and YOU WILL HAVE TO PRACTICALLY LIVE IN THE OFFICE SOOO what is the point?

Time is the most precious thing we have on this earth… at the end of the day what is the point in making all that money if you are working 80-100 hours a week. You are wasting your life away in a cubicle.

Also its not like the job is interesting or has a huge impact on society. You are not a doctor saving lives here… you are a bean counter.

REG-77
BEC -Waiting on score May 5th
AUD - May 30
FAR - Q3 depending on if i pass above two in Q2

[KBinMN]

^ not just in a cubical. The partner's at my firm check emails at home and bring work home.

And the most I work is 70 hours but I still don't think it's worth it. In some job searches the money isn't much better elsewhere either. I looked at an “accounting manager” in private and the salary range was 40-45k. So they want someone in a manager-type roll but don't value the position enough to actually pay someone?

About the only redeeming quality of accounting is that you can do it until you're 90. And apparently you might have to since the pay is so low.

I really wish I would've picked up a few trades instead. Plumbing, carpentry, HVAC, electric.

[Mayo]

@KBinMN, you have to be careful with titles nowadays. It seems everyone is trying to inflate the importance of the role. In what area of the country do you live?

45k for a Accting Manager role is the exception and not the rule IMO.

Mayo, BBA, Macc

[Mayo]

@GSU CPA,

I don't get you man. On the one hand you say this about accounting work (I'm assuming Public Accounting):

“I dont care how you put it that is not WORTH IT.”…”YOU WILL HAVE TO PRACTICALLY LIVE IN THE OFFICE SOOO what is the point?”

And then I see this in other threads….

“I am considering if i should do tax for the big 4. I have already ruled out that i do not want to do audit and am leaning toward tax so please answer these questions for me.”

How can you possibly be interested in a Big 4 position if you think it's not worth it? I made less than $55k my first year AND I worked 70-80 hours a week during busy season in Big 4 Audit. A friend of mine in Big 4 Tax worked 60 hours a week from February to July without a break.

and….

“I agree with most here , with your experience and almost being done with CPA you should have no trouble finding work with proper salary and working environment.”

Proper salary? Proper working environment? Go figure. I thought you'd advise him/her that no matter what he/she does he/she's basically going to be in a bad situation.

Not trying to flame. It just seems like a very bipolar way of expressing your opinion and I'm curious how you reconcile the two.

Mayo, BBA, Macc

[Anonymous]

I work as a tax auditor and my busy season is 45 hours a week instead of the usual 37.5.

I get extra compensation and more time off from working extra hours.

[Author]

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