Tax

Corporate Tax

Tax is an increasingly complex area for businesses to navigate. Failing to meet their corporate tax obligations can have a significant impact on our clients, resulting in reputational damage, business risks and penalties.

Our Corporate Tax team work closely with clients to ensure they are meeting their tax obligations, managing risk and optimising their tax position. What does this mean? Fundamentally, we help clients to figure out how much tax they need to pay.

We work alongside our clients at all stage of their business lifecycle to provide:

• tax compliance services (including the review and lodgement of annual company income tax returns)
• tailored tax advice
• mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transaction support (including due diligence, tax structuring and business restructures)
• tax governance and risk management process advice. 
• ATO audit support

You’ll work with a portfolio of large and complex companies, including major retailers, renewable energy providers or even airlines!

What makes working in Corporate Tax unique:

• Client contact – You’ll experience a high level of client contact right from the very beginning, meeting with clients and speaking with them regularly.
• Newsworthy and controversial – Company tax is an incredibly topical area, particularly in the last few years. As part of the Corporate Tax team, you’ll be at the forefront of navigating an ever-changing and highly contentious landscape.
• Collaboration – Tax is an integral consideration for every business at every stage of the business lifecycle, so working in the Corporate Tax team will you see collaborate closely with a number of our other service lines including Financial Advisory, Audit & Assurance and Specialist Tax.

Joining Corporate Tax as a graduate or vacationer will see you:

• completing and lodging company income tax returns
• researching relevant case law, legislation and tax rulings
• attending regular team training to keep up to date with legislative and regulatory changes
• liaising frequently with clients and the ATO
• drafting tailored tax advice with the support of your team and various subject matter experts.

What we’re looking for from you:

• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Collaboration and the ability to build strong working relationships with your teammates and your clients
• An aptitude for problem-solving
• Resilience and adaptability

Our Corporate team is best suited to students majoring in Accounting, Tax, Commerce, Economics, Finance or Law.

Meet Will

Name: Will Briggs
Job Title: Senior Associate
Service Line: Corporate Tax
University Attended: University of Adelaide
Degree qualification: Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting)
Year graduated: 2020

Will began his Grant Thornton journey in the Corporate Tax team after graduating from The University of Adelaide in 2020. Starting his first full-time, professional job came with some nerves, but his experience has felt nothing but supportive. “Everyone understands that you aren’t going to know everything on day one. When you join, you work closely with a Buddy and Manager to learn the ropes, go through training, and adjust to the environment. People are always happy for you to ask a question or sit down and explain something to help,” Will says.

As an Associate in the Adelaide office, his workday is generally split between tax compliance and advisory or consulting work, depending on the time of year and client requirements. Will particularly enjoys when clients ask his team to help solve a complex tax issue. “The tasks I enjoy most are where clients raise a specific income tax issue for us to resolve, whether it’s research into a niche part of tax law or constructing a workpaper, which helps to prove out a difficult tax calculation. I find that these tasks are the ones where you get the opportunity to work through unfamiliar problems, and test yourself in different scenarios, outside of more general tax compliance work and processes,” Will says.

What do you like about client work? “It’s always nice to get that email back from a client after you finalise a job, thanking you for that extra bit of effort that you’ve put in. Clients, particularly in smaller and medium sized businesses, are often very busy people – but they usually pick up on that extra bit of explanation, and they take the time to show appreciation for making their life easier.”

Will says in the almost two years he has been at Grant Thornton, he has been offered opportunities to work on a variety of projects just by putting his hand up. “I’ve been surprised at the different opportunities and responsibilities on offer. Whether it’s work or social, people will be more than happy for you to get involved,” Will says.

Transfer Pricing

Transfer pricing is one of the most challenging tax issues.

Multinational companies are increasingly facing scrutiny from regulators, media and the public – and complying with different requirements across multiple jurisdictions can be a complex and time-consuming task.

Our Transfer Pricing team helps clients manage their entire transfer pricing lifecycle by:

• establishing planning structures when expanding overseas for the first time or entering new markets
• restructuring transfer pricing frameworks
• undertaking transfer pricing reviews 
• conducting pricing of intercompany debt and arm’s length debt testing analysis
• supporting statutory reporting requirements; and 
• preparing and maintaining local, regional and global transfer pricing documentation.

Industry sectors we specialise in include:

• Technology
• Retail (such as local and global activewear brands, apparel retailers)
• Mining & resources
• Airlines

What makes working in Transfer Pricing unique:

• Not a ‘typical’ accounting role – Leave all your assumptions about working in tax behind you, our Transfer Pricing team don’t do typical accounting work. You’ll have a significant amount of client contact from the very beginning – deepening your understanding of the client’s business and strategic objectives through process walkthroughs, client interview and site visits. 
• Global opportunities – As Transfer Pricing specialist, your skills will be highly transferrable across a multitude of markets, leading to opportunities to work on secondment across our Grant Thornton international network.
• Highly topical – The regulatory landscape is constantly evolving and somewhat controversial, with transfer pricing facing an increasing level of interest and scrutiny from regulators and the general public. 

Joining Transfer Pricing as a graduate or vacationer will see you:

• working closely with clients to understand their business holistically – their operations and their objectives
• attending client site visits and walk throughs
• conducting due diligence reviews in support of M&C transactions
• liaising with the ATO and other jurisdictional agencies
• conducting in-depth industry research 
• keeping up to date with legislative and regulatory changes
• having a high degree of direct client contact from day one.

What we’re looking for from you:

• Strong commercial acumen
• An aptitude for problem-solving
• Collaboration
• Adaptability

Our Transfer Pricing team is best suited to students majoring in Accounting, Tax, Commerce, Economics, Finance or Law.

Meet Lillian

Name: Lillian Poh
Job Title: Senior Associate
Service Line: Tax - Transfer Pricing
University Attended: University of Melbourne
Degree qualification: Bachelor Commerce (Economics and Finance)
Year graduated: 2020

Lillian’s journey at Grant Thornton began as a Graduate in the Melbourne Transfer Pricing team, and Lillian says that they have been nothing but supportive from the beginning. As of January 2023, Lillian was promoted to Senior Associate.“Grant Thornton is a supportive environment, where I can constantly learn new skills and challenge myself. The firm has a positive culture, which encourages self-development and allows graduates room to make mistakes while learning the ropes. I have found that this positive culture has allowed me to build my skills at an exponential rate,” Lillian says.

As part of Lillian’s role, she assists with writing reports that help establish if transactions are independent. “My role involves performing economic analyses for a wide range of transactions. The client engagements I work on can be determining appropriate interest rates for the provision of debt funding, license fees for the grant of intellectual property rights or mark-ups to be applied to the provision of back-office services,” Lillian says.

Lillian says the theory she learnt throughout university remains relevant to what she does day-to-day. “From my finance major, I found learning about debt funding and investment arrangements to be particularly interesting. The theory I learnt in the classroom remains quite applicable to the work that I do in my role now,” Lillian says.

What do you love most about your job? “I really enjoy being able to take a deep dive into the companies and industries that our clients operate in. I work with clients who develop all types of innovative products and services, which I never even knew existed prior to working at Grant Thornton. As part of undertaking detailed business analyses for these companies, I have had the opportunity to meet with CEOs and CFOs to hear directly from them about the ‘ins’ and ‘outs’ of their businesses.”

Employment Tax

Regardless of the size of their workforce, it’s vital for organisations to understand the tax considerations and implications that apply when it comes to remunerating and rewarding their people.

Our Employment Tax team provides expert advice and support to clients in the following areas to ensure that they are able to attract and retain top talent while optimising costs and managing compliance obligations. Area of Employment tax work include:

• Payroll tax
• Fringe benefits tax (FBT)
• Employee share schemes 
• Superannuation
• Payroll assurance
• Global mobility.

What makes working in Employment Tax unique:

• Advisory work – Experience an interesting mix of advisory and compliance work, with a strong focus on advisory work right from the very beginning.
• High impact – Our team works in a rapidly changing landscape with far reaching financial and reputational impacts for organisations of all shapes and sizes.
• Expand your networks – Our team regularly works with other offices across the Grant Thornton international network, enabling you to transcend borders and develop a truly global mindset.

Joining Employment Tax as a graduate or vacationer will see you:

• working closely with clients to understand their approach to remuneration and incentives, their industry and any relevant industrial relations obligations
• reviewing and assess client policies, frameworks and procedures across various remuneration and incentive schemes
• assisting a client with the lodgement of their annual returns
• liaising with the ATO
• drafting advice to clients on the tax implications of policy and legislative changes 
• keeping up to date with changes to tax policy, industrial relations and the case law rulings.

What we’re looking for from you:

• Initiative
• Curiosity and an appetite for ongoing learning
• An interest in research and writing
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills

Our Employment Tax team is best suited to students majoring in Accounting, Tax, Commerce, Economics, Finance or Law.

Indirect Tax

Managing GST in Australia, as well as other indirect taxes – like stamp duty, land tax, fuel tax credits and payroll tax – can be a complex and costly exercise for most businesses.

Our Indirect Tax team works with closely with clients to help them minimise the impact of GST, state taxes and other indirect taxes on their organisations. 

Industry sectors we specialise in include:

• Financial services
• Real estate and construction
• Food, beverage and agriculture
• Education.

What makes working in Indirect Tax unique:

• Complex legal and regulatory landscape – You’ll be building a strong foundational understanding of new and existing indirect taxes, including the differences between jurisdictions and the impact on business operations.
• Advisory work – Leave your assumptions about work in tax at the door. Working in Indirect Tax is less about number crunching and more about interpreting relevant case law and legislation and drafting bespoke advice for clients. We do tax, but we do it differently.

Joining Indirect Tax as a graduate or vacationer will see you:

• preparing client activity statements (i.e. BAS)
• reviewing a client’s controls and processes to ensure GST is accurately recorded and reported
• drafting client advice on strategies to optimise GST recovery
• liaising with the ATO and preparing applications on behalf of client with respect to the tax treatment of certain products, goods or services
• building a strong foundational understanding of the various State Taxes and the jurisdictional differences between states/territories 
• keeping up to date with legislative and regulatory changes, as well as landmark case law.

What we’re looking for from you:

• Strong written communication skills
• Relationship building
• An interest in research and writing
• Adaptability and initiative

Our Indirect Tax team is best suited to students majoring in Accounting, Tax, Commerce, Economics, Finance or Law.

Innovation Incentives

The Australian Government’s continued focus on and support of research and development (R&D) means we are now one of the most attractive locations in the world for organisations to undertake R&D activities.

Our Innovation Incentives team works alongside clients to help make their ideas come to life by navigating the government funding landscape. We do this through assisting clients in the preparation of R&D application forms, calculating R&D expenditure and supporting with audits/reviews.

We work across an incredibly broad range of industries, including:

• Manufacturing 
• Agriculture
• Banks and financial services
• Health care.

What makes working in Innovation Incentives unique:

• Not a ‘typical’ accounting role – Think you need to be an accountant to work in professional services? Think again!  Our Innovation Incentives team come from a range of different degree backgrounds – law, chemistry, engineering, just to name a few.
• Client contact – You’ll experience a high level of client contact right from the very beginning, meeting with clients and speaking with them regularly.
• Interesting, varied clients – Our clients are working at the forefront of innovation and technological change – you’ll get exposure and insights into emerging industries and help support clients to be future industry leaders.

Joining Innovation Incentives as a graduate or vacationer will see you:

• working intimately with clients to understand their organisation’s objectives, as well as their proposed innovation
• learning about new and emerging industries
• preparing R&D application forms
• drafting client advice
• being involved in business development activities.

What we’re looking for from you:

• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Curiosity and initiative 
• Agile thinkers
• Problem-solvers
• Collaboration and the ability to build strong working relationships with your teammates and your clients
• Commercial mindset

Our Innovation Incentives team accepts applications from students of all disciplines.

Innovation Incentives (Government Grants)

Government grants are a key source of growth for Australian businesses – they’re designed to stimulate innovation, competitiveness and business sustainability, as well as increase jobs, investment and export. They’re also highly competitive and staying up to date on grant program can be difficult and time consuming for clients for client to manager.

Our Innovation Incentives (Government Grants) team support their clients by identifying relevant grant programs (at a State and Federal level) that are best aligned to their business objectives and goals and assist clients in the preparation of their grant applications.

We partner closely with clients across a wide range of industries including:

• Agriculture
• Food and beverage
• Clean and alternative energy.

What makes working in Innovation Incentives (Government Grants) unique:

• Not a ‘typical’ accounting role – Think you need to be an accountant to work in professional services? Think again!  Our Innovation Incentives (Government Grants) team come from a range of different degree backgrounds – if you like creative writing, policy and politics or marketing, this team could be the right fit for you.
• Interesting, varied clients – Our clients are working at the forefront of innovation and technological change – you’ll get exposure and insights into emerging industries and help support clients to be future industry leaders.

Joining Innovation Incentives (Government Grants) as a graduate or vacationer will see you:

• working intimately with clients to understand their organisation’s operations, goals and objectives
• attending a client engagement kick-off meeting
• researching government policies and programs
• helping to prepare and submit grant applications on behalf of clients
• reviewing budget papers and keeping up to date with election outcomes 
• identifying opportunities to connect with clients regarding relevant grant programs
• supporting on business development.

What we’re looking for from you:

• Strong written communication skills
• Attention to detail
• Time management and organisational skills
• Curiosity and an appetite for learning
• An enjoyment in research and writing tasks

Our Innovation Incentives (Government Grants) team accepts applications from students of all disciplines but is particularly well suited to students majoring in Finance, Accounting, Commerce, Economics, Law, Arts/Communication or Marketing.

Data Transformation & Analytics

Businesses are operating an increasingly complex regulatory environment – it’s tricky to get the rules right and getting it wrong can have far reaching financial and reputational impacts for organisations of all shapes and sizes.

Our Data Transformation & Analytics team work closely with clients to provide data solutions to a range of complex business problems. Specifically, we help clients to:

• identify if a company has a problem or a risk of non-compliance
• quantify the impact of any issues identified
• provide insights into the possible cause of identified issues
• develop a remediation plan and provide recommendations for system/process improvements.

We have specialist expertise in payroll assurance reviews, having worked across a number of industries including retail, hospitality, professional services and health & aged care.

What makes working in Data Transformation & Analytics unique:

• Systems – Think accounting is about working in spreadsheets all day? Think again!  Our Data Transformation & Analytics team use a range of dashboards and data analytics tools (including Alteryx) to be able to bring relevant and impactful insights to clients. 
• Build your networks – You’ll work closely alongside our own Forensics and Consulting teams and other professional services firms (including law firms).

Joining Data Transformation & Analytics as a graduate or vacationer will see you:

• partnering closely with clients to understand their organisation, their operations and processes
• working with high volume, complex data sets
• using a range of dashboards and data analytics tools
• drafting client deliverables including written reports or dashboard reporting
• translating complex data results into digestible, relevant insights.

What we’re looking for from you:

• Curiosity and initiative
• Strong commercial acumen 
• Time management and organisation skills
• An interest in the power of harnessing data

Our Data Transformation & Analytics team is best suited to students majoring in Accounting, Commerce, Economics or Business Systems.

Global Trade

Global and multinational organisations who have supply chains that move physical goods internationally, need to comply with customs rules and regulations.

This is more important than ever, as supply chains are changing rapidly due to various factors, such as disruptions, trade wars, and carbon tariffs. These factors can affect the taxes you pay on your goods.

Our Global Trade team looks to support its clients by:

• finding and recovering any overpaid customs duties
• formulating and implementing of Duty Saving strategies.
• managing organisations customs compliance obligations via audit of broker data, disclosure of transfer pricing adjustments and royalty payments
• customs valuation guidance and assistance with compliance
• streamlining supply chain management and security optimisation
• providing advice on Free Trade Agreements and compliance issues relating to customs duty returns
• assisting and advising on International Expansion into new export markets
• guiding clients to become accredited into the Australian Trusted Trade program, which can give organisations faster and easier clearance of goods.

Industry sectors we specialise in include:

• Manufacturing
• Retail
• Food & Beverage

What makes working in Global Trade unique:

Not a ‘typical’ accounting role - Leave all your assumptions about working in tax behind you, our Global Trade team doesn’t involve typical accounting tasks. You'll engage with diverse stakeholders and focus on navigating both local and international regulations, offering a unique experience outside of traditional accounting roles.

Client exposure - You’ll have a significant amount of client contact from the very beginning – deepening your understanding of the client’s business and strategic objectives through process walkthroughs, client interview and site visits.

High impact – Our team works in a rapidly changing landscape with far reaching financial and reputational impacts for organisations of all shapes and sizes.

Joining Global Trade as a graduate or vacationer will see you:

• working closely with clients to understand their business holistically – their operations and their objectives
• attending client site visits and walk-throughs
• conducting due diligence reviews in support of M&C transactions
• liaising with the Australian Border Force and other jurisdictional agencies
• conducting in-depth industry research
• keeping up to date with legislative and regulatory changes
• having a high degree of direct client contact from day one.

What we’re looking for from you:

• Strong commercial acumen
• An aptitude for problem solving
• Collaboration
• Adaptability

Our Transfer Pricing team is best suited to students majoring in Accounting, Tax, Commerce, Economics, Finance or Law.