r/AustralianAccounting

I'm an australian qualified CFO with experience working with VC/PE backed companies, I've been living in Europe for a bit over a decade and am moving back to Sydney later this year.

The "Fractional CFO" path seems to have taken off over the past decade in the UK and Europe, i.e. operating as a consultant to deliver a package of CFO work to a few startups/SMEs at a time, usually paid a retainer for a set of deliverables.

Is this approach normal / something smaller companies are doing in Australia these days?

Hi guys,

Looking for recommendations for a good accountant ideally with experience in tech start ups - ideally Sydney based but happy with remote. Specifically an Accountant with experience in startup equity structures, equity vesting and structuring.

Currently PAYG on the highest marginal tax rate. Have self-lodged my own tax returns (and my partners) up until now which has been straightforward — but my situation is getting more complex and I’ll likely need an accountant to help me with my personal and company financials moving forward.

Quick background:

Joining an early stage Sydney tech startup as an equity owner. Will be holding my shares through a newly incorporated holding company (maybe trust?) and will also receive business income through that entity. Want to make sure the structure is set up correctly from day one — PSI implications, deductible expenses, correct setup etc.

May be converting my PPOR to an investment property in the near future.

Looking for someone who can handle my personal PAYG return, my holding company’s annual return, and potentially my partner’s return as well — ideally all under one roof for a long term relationship.

Cheers

Hi guys, would love some advice for my current situation. I’ve so far failed to secure any graduate positions for next year in Audit and Assurance which is where I want to work so now I’m a bit lost on where to go from here.
For starters, I graduated from a G08 uni in Melbourne in mid 2025 with a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Finance. My WAM is a 56 which basically rules out a huge chunk of opportunities. I have two prior experiences in two different Big 4:

- 1 year as both a vaccie and undergrad in R&D Tax Incentives (did fine in this role)
- 6 months up until December 2025 as a graduate at another big 4 in A&A (was let go during probation which I attribute to personal issues that began during uni hence why my WAM also tanked; thankfully I’ve mostly managed to fix these issues but they still affected my work as a grad nonetheless)

Given it’s now been almost a year since graduating, my time is running out for being eligible for most grad programs as they put a time limit on who can apply. I’ve been considering going back to study since I want to be CA eligible for A&A grad roles, and I have two ideas in mind:

1. CA Foundations (6 units to reach eligibility)
2. Master of Professional Accounting at a non G08 (my WAM is cooked so I wouldn’t be able to get anything else, and at the very least if I work hard I can have a respectable WAM that would open more doors of eligibility for some grad roles).

Would love some genuine advice from anyone in this sub; maybe I need to rethink my approach or think about exploring other avenues? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Just logged into to a client and noticed it this morning. First time I’ve seen it and I’ve been doing it tax for 15 years now. The ATO are getting harsher?

Hi everyone, l could really use some advice. I’ve been working in big 4 audit straight out of uni for about two years. I left my role three months ago and since then, I’ve been struggling to find a new job. Every time I apply on Seek, I rarely hear back, especially since recruiters also don’t seem to have many roles available. I’m really keen on moving into industry, like an assistant accountant or junior accountant role. Does anyone have any advice on how to transition from audit to industry or any top recruiters or platforms you’d recommend? I’d really appreciate it.

I am looking at entry level firm positions and the base packages being offered across the mid tier and big four are absolute pennies compared to other professional services. When you factor in the expected unpaid overtime during busy season the actual hourly rate drops well below minimum wage. How are firms wondering why talent is leaving for banking or tech

Hi guys, for those of you who did the tax unit in term 2 have you guys tried enrolling into the advanced tax unit? has it worked for you guys?

hey yall, so i’ve got about 4 years experience in business services & tax and after today I’m really wanting some insight and other peoples opinions on career options or your general opinion on some of the roles accounting can offer.

Atm i’m really just feeling kind of stuck, I feel like the whole time i’ve been in tax all i’ve heard is that it’ll get better when working on bigger entities or groups etc etc and while this may be half true and i find myself not as bored completing those kind of jobs - i am finding that i’m constantly just waiting for the job to actually get more fulfilling. I’m finding it hard with coming to terms that the next 40 years of my life will be determined on how well i can perform in 7 minute intervals.

I do dream of getting out of tax one day but i do worry that outside of tax other accounting based careers may not be as lucrative with years of experience, or may not offer similar opportunities as some tax firms offer in terms of progression, such as going from manager all the way up to partner.

So i would just like to know what’s everyone else’s opinion on roles like tax, management accounting, analysts etc etc and what’s the likelihood of being able to branch out of tax since starting it?

Fuck

I haven't gotten to the final screen yet but how much are they slugging us this year?

I recently accepted a grad audit role with a government organisation. The pay is better than a lot of public accounting grad roles I’ve seen and they also pay overtime, so overall it seemed like a great opportunity.

My main concern is future growth and exit opportunities. I’ve heard it can be harder to move from government audit into public accounting or commercial roles later compared to starting in a CA firm.

I also have an interview tomorrow with RSM for a Business Advisory Services grad role, so I’m wondering whether I should still seriously pursue that path.

For people in accounting/recruitment, is the difference in long-term opportunities actually significant, or is government audit still a solid place to start?

That time of year.

25 years old, mid tier tax in Sydney.

CA study complete 6 months off sign off.

$210 charge out rate.

What would you expect my base salary to be/should be?

I’m about to graduate and trying to get a realistic picture of whether accounting progression actually keeps pace with the workload. What does salary progression typically look like from grad through to senior where you are right now?

I recently got promoted to Senior Auditor, but alongside that, my firm is moving me into a new role as an AI & Automation Lead, with a longer-term path toward becoming a Financial Reporting AI Specialist instead of the traditional manager/director track.

For context, over the past year I’ve been heavily automating a lot of our audit workflows—building scripts, agents, and tools to reduce manual testing, streamline documentation, and eliminate a lot of the repetitive grunt work. It’s gotten to the point where the firm wants to formally invest in me and have me focus on scaling this across engagements.

I still enjoy audit, but I’ve always been more interested in the technical/building side than the client-facing and networking-heavy aspects that come with the traditional path.

The partners have been very supportive (basically told me they’re okay with projects failing as long as we keep pushing innovation), which makes this a pretty unique opportunity.

One additional factor: long-term, I want a career that gives me a lot of flexibility and ideally the ability to work remotely. That’s a big driver behind how I’m thinking about this decision.

My question:
Do you think specializing early in AI/automation within audit/financial reporting is a better long-term move compared to sticking with the traditional path to manager/director/partner?

I’m especially curious about:
- Exit opportunities (both within and outside accounting)
- Risk of being too niche vs. being ahead of the curve
- Whether this kind of role becomes more valuable over time or plateaus
- How it compares to the traditional path in terms of flexibility and remote work potential

Would appreciate any thoughts—especially from those who’ve seen how tech-focused roles evolve in accounting firms.

Hello everyone. Currently looking to transition from a public accountancy role to a management accountancy role.
Now that I have updated my resume on Seek the recruiters are flocking in like seagulls.
My question is, what is the general concensus with going with a recruiter to find a job? My original and current process was to just apply for jobs I liked manually through Seek.
My first real experience with them so I am a bit unsure the downsides.
Thanks!

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Thanks

Mike

https://preview.redd.it/3xaofl9cul0h1.png?width=270&format=png&auto=webp&s=abfbd7fa6d37036839daf55c44081960c9bd4a01

Hi,

Need help understanding what salary range i should be targeting.

Currently got 4.5yrs exp b4 audit with CA.

I've been told 125 + super + bonus is achievable from recruiters. Is this realistic as I'm not getting any interviews for "senior accountant" positions.

TIA

Hi,
I am wondering if people can help me find different networking events around Melbourne.
I am currently a grad at a Big 4 and find it difficult to network outside of my organisation.
Does anyone know any events that happen outside of work hours or different committees I could join or be apart of to meet different people?