Name: Robert Johnson

Age: 28

Company: IFAC

Occupation: Senior Tax Consultant. I am both ACCA and AITI qualified.

Secondary school: The Highschool, Clonmel

What did you study in college? I studied for a BA in Accountancy in Waterford Institute of Technology. I chose accountancy as I was fairly decent at it in school and I was under the mistaken impression that as a job it would leave me plenty of time in the evenings to work on the family farm.

What did you do when you left college? I had applied to several places in Dublin prior to leaving college (there was no jobs in accountancy anywhere else in the country at this time due to the crash). I was accepted by a small firm in Dun Laoghaire. I spent six years at this firm, rising from trainee accountant to senior manager. I completed both my accountancy and tax qualifications at this time.

When did you join IFAC and why? After spending six years in Dublin, the time was right for me to return home to help on the farm. The rent in Dublin was making it more expensive to live up there and I had seen that IFAC was looking for someone around south Tipperary and west Waterford.

What are your day-to-day tasks/ what does an accountant do? There are many different roles and types of accountants. In my previous employment it was reviewing accountants and tax returns prepared by staff, managing staff and liaising with clients to solve any issues they had. With IFAC I am more focused on the tax side of the accountancy role and will often travel to one of our 26 branches to meet with the branch partner and clients to discuss high-level tax advice. When I am not traveling, I spend my time drafting reports or tax opinions for these clients and liaising with the partner or client to ensure I have a full understanding of the situation.

Is it challenging? Yes. When you are working in an accountancy practice you will meet multiple different challenges each day. No client or case is ever the same.

Is it busy? Yes. Some periods are busier than others. The tax deadline in late autumn can be an exceedingly busy period.

Do you like your job? I do. I enjoy problem solving and meeting clients and I am able to do this in my job.

What would someone need to become an accountant? If a person has an analytical mind and likes to solve problems then they will find a role in accountancy enjoyable.