Young Tax Professionals - Student Experience

Tuesday, August 11, 2020
by Vidya N, AFM

vidya
For as long as I can remember, just hearing the word “tax” makes many people anxious, frustrated and immediately want to change topics. It wasn’t until my experience with taking my first tax course and being part of the YTP that made me look at the monstrous Income Tax Act as an exciting opportunity.

I took my first comprehensive tax course in my 3A term which allowed me to understand the fundamentals in the Income Tax Act and apply it to both personal and corporate taxes. After the first spark of realizing that tax may not be as scary as it seems I decided to apply to the YTP in my 3B term.

The YTP allowed me to get a taste of a variety of careers in tax (whether that’s in a public accounting firm or even as a tax lawyer) through guest lectures. Some of the guest speakers were also SAF alumni who were able to relate to our experiences in the program and provided advice on what they’ve learned during their time in SAF. After the guest lectures, I was able to network with the speakers as well as our tax professors to learn more about how they knew tax was right for them. Not to mention the bonus of having cookies and refreshment available at each session.

Aside from these monthly lectures, the YTP also provides opportunities for students to pursue their passion for tax through other events. An event that I was able to take part in was #TaxTipsThursday which allowed me to present relevant tax tips for students on the SAF website. This was especially handy as the tips came out just in time for tax season.

Ultimately, being part of the YTP has allowed me to look at tax in a new perspective and explore what was once an avoided topic to an endless possibility.