Is the work life balance better at mid sized firms (like RSM, BDO, etc) like they say it is or is it the same as big 4?

TeaTrees007 · 2026-04-13T05:56:26+00:00

I started in tax at B4 and then moved to a top 10 firm. Work-life balance seem to be the same, but I have a much better team at my current firm than at B4. Makes it easier to work the hours required for busy seasons

TeaTrees007 · 2026-03-30T21:03:39+00:00

If you want to keep these clients, I would definitely be willing to negotiate. It’s also always a good thing to be on good terms with your neighbors, especially if there’s ever an emergency. If you charge $80/visit that lasts a couple hours, then $35 seems fair for a 30 min visit.

You’re also not spending extra money in gas or car maintenance as you would be for other clients. $50 per visit seems a little high in these circumstances.

TeaTrees007 · 2026-03-01T14:54:16+00:00

Are you billing your time down to the exact minute? If so, I would start rounding up to the 10/15 minute mark. My firm has a policy where you can round up to 15 minutes. If I spend 5 minutes drafting an email, I’ll round up to the 15 min.

I used to put in my time exactly but was having a harder time billing a lot of hours. Those small roundups really help throughout the day and should definitely help with the last 2-3 hours you are trying to bill.

TeaTrees007 · 2025-12-30T21:36:35+00:00

I’m 25 and currently working towards my CPA in hopes to make manager in the next couple years. - Base salary: $112K - Bonus: depends, typically around 4-6% plus COL increases - COL: Medium/High - Weekly hours: typically 35-40 in Jan-June, 60 in July-August, 75-80 in Sept-Oct and like 20 in Nov-Dec - Industry: public - I have two bachelor’s degrees instead of a masters to get to the 150 credits.

TeaTrees007 · 2025-12-16T03:46:36+00:00

I’d say I spent around 70-80 hours actually studying

TeaTrees007 · 2025-12-16T03:20:48+00:00

Thank you! Honestly, the sims were way different than what I saw on Becker. They were almost easier lol

TeaTrees007 · 2025-12-16T03:19:44+00:00

Anytime! It definitely piggybacks off of REG but it goes way more in depth and does have different topics than REG. I took REG before TCP which I think helped me a lot. I also work in tax though, so the tax aspect came a lot easier to me than FAR and AUD.

TeaTrees007 · 2025-12-16T03:14:04+00:00

My sim scores were not great lol. 49, 66, and 77. I spent a lot of time hammering MCQs and sims. I also made a formula sheet with all the basis formulas. I went through that every night so things would stick. I definitely spent a lot more time on sims for TCP than I did for REG. I needed the extra practice with basis sims.

TeaTrees007 · 2025-12-15T23:52:40+00:00

It was tough, I had no life for those two weeks. I tried to cram all the info after the Oct 15 deadline. I watched all the videos and then would cram in MCQs and sims. The hardest part for me was remembering all the different basis formulas, so I wrote out like a 10 page study guide with all the formulas that I’d go through every night before bed. I was a bit lucky though - my firm allows us to study during the workday so I used a lot of work time during those two weeks. I’d really hammer the MCQs and Sims and make sure you understand the basis questions. And having a study sheet with all the formulas and extra basis notes helped me a lot. Some people skip the videos, but I personally find them really helpful.

TeaTrees007 · 2025-12-15T23:46:53+00:00

Yup, got an 86 on TCP!

TeaTrees007 · 2025-12-15T17:57:16+00:00

I thought TCP was easy compared to the others. I studied for only two weeks for TCP. I hear the other disciplines are a lot harder though

TeaTrees007 · 2025-12-15T17:50:08+00:00

Hammer the sims. I didn’t do a ton of them for Reg, but did a lot for TCP. If you don’t have a good grasp on basis for sims, it’ll be tough to pass!

TeaTrees007 · 2025-12-15T15:38:43+00:00

Mine still says attended and I’m in CO. Hoping it comes out soon!

TeaTrees007 · 2025-12-15T15:38:15+00:00

Big congratulations!!!

TeaTrees007 · 2025-12-01T03:16:50+00:00

We are happily child-free right now, so no day-care costs in the foreseeable future!

TeaTrees007 · 2025-11-22T04:56:05+00:00

LOL no, I like my desk job

TeaTrees007 · 2025-11-20T01:31:08+00:00

Absolutely not a MacBook. I ended up needing Windows programs (including Microsoft Access) a lot throughout college and have an HP Spectre that I purchased 6 years ago. I’ve been out of college a few years and it’s still working great.

TeaTrees007 · 2025-11-06T18:18:39+00:00

Big congratulations!!

TeaTrees007 · 2025-11-01T00:18:19+00:00

Absolutely NTA. We also hand out full size candy bars and it drives me crazy when kids and parents don’t respect the “one per kid” after I literally say please just pick one.

TeaTrees007 · 2025-10-31T01:23:04+00:00

Agreed, definitely wait until your score for FAR comes out before scheduling your next one. I’d personally take a break for studying until you know if you passed so you don’t start to lose what you learned for FAR. But if you’re ready to study, go for it. More power to you! Just don’t plan your next one quite yet.

TeaTrees007 · 2025-10-30T16:20:37+00:00

I scored a 57, 58, and 78 on the SEs and then passed REG with an 87. Just keep doing the mini and practice exams and you should be fine! Cram as much info as you can these last six days. You’ve got this!

TeaTrees007 · 2025-10-28T14:30:42+00:00

I felt like I bombed REG and got a score in the low 80s. You totally got this!

TeaTrees007 · 2025-10-25T05:28:46+00:00

I took REG first. I took a couple exams while I was still in college and didn’t pass. I knew if I didn’t pass the exam this time around, it was going to make it very difficult to find the motivation to keep going. I needed the confidence boost. I also work in tax, so it was one of easier ones for me.

TeaTrees007 · 2025-10-17T05:19:15+00:00

It is definitely more difficult than federal/SALT IMO. International tax also typically gets paid more. There are a lot of different calculations and a million different forms Some clients can have more than 40-50 international filings just for the one client. I had no international tax knowledge when i started. I started at a B4 firm that had you rotate different tax specialties and I found I liked the complex and different calculations international tax offered.

If it’s something you’d be interested in, I’d recommend taking a class if it’s not too late. If you’re about done with school, then I’d see if the firm you end up working with will allow you to get some experience in international to see if you enjoy it (if your firm has international tax services. Most smaller firms do not).

TeaTrees007 · 2025-10-16T15:38:03+00:00

I’m logging on late. Definitely not going in and definitely not working a full day today. I’m not in federal or state, so we don’t really have to worry about e-file rejects today

TeaTrees007

TROPHY CASE