Right now, we’re looking for university graduates wanting to start their career in personal tax as a trainee, studying towards the ATT/CTA qualification.
This will be offered under a Level 7 apprenticeship and will take three years to complete.
Application window:
- Applications will close on 30 April 2025.
Please note due to the high popularity of these positions, applications may close earlier than stated. We wouldn't want you to lose out, so we recommend applying as soon as possible.
About the office
In September 2024, we will be moving from our current Harrogate office to a brand new office opening in Leeds.
Our Harrogate (soon to be Leeds) team has clients reaching across the whole county, including a strong presence within Harrogate, Leeds and the wider Yorkshire region. The office provides advice to a range of clients, including: Commercial/owner managed businesses, landed estates, private wealth and the Not for Profit/Charities sector and advises its clients on all aspects of the business and personal wealth lifecycle.
About the team
The Tax Services Group (TSG) is a national team operating across our nine UK offices. The team delivers exceptional quality compliance and advisory services to a wide range of high net worth private clients. These include those with UK and offshore interests, property owners, business owners, partnerships and trusts.
About your role
Qualifying is not just about passing your exams; gaining valuable work experience is so important.
Personal tax professionals help individuals to pay the right amount of tax to keep them compliant - work dealing with tax returns and the reporting of tax to the Revenue authorities such as HMRC is called tax compliance.
You'll work in a friendly and progressive team, involved in tasks such as preparing and filing tax returns, carrying out manual reconciliation of tax liabilities and liaising with clients over the phone or in person. The client base is varied and includes clients who are both domestic and international, so we guarantee an exciting and complex portfolio.
You'll receive excellent training and support for your studies. We use first-class tuition centres and organise our own off-site trainee programmes. You’ll get to meet and socialise with trainees across all offices, so it isn't all just work, and you can have fun too.
What you'll need
- 2:1 (expected or obtained) in any discipline,
- A minimum of 120 UCAS points in your A Levels (or equivalent), and
- A minimum of 6 (or B) in GCSE Maths and English Language (or equivalent).
About the qualification
We offer a three-year ATT/CTA training contract under a Level 7 apprenticeship, with a view to becoming a chartered tax adviser.
Studying as an apprentice won’t impact the time it takes you to complete the qualification, it just means that there's a defined study pathway in place to ensure you have the best chance to succeed. You'll gain technical knowledge and key skills/behaviours to maximise your potential in the role.
Where potential meets personal meets you
You'll share our values by being collegiate and enthusiastic, whilst acting with integrity and striving for excellence.
You'll be friendly and approachable with a mindset to be committed, take accountability, and go the extra mile to deliver our signature service. To put your hand up when you see something’s not working, and help to make it better. And yes, we expect drive and focus, effort and enthusiasm.
When you work with Saffery, you’re never a number. You’re you. Because we want everyone’s individual personality and style to shine through. And we care more, and ego less. We get on and we get on. You'll thrive in your close-knit team, delivering high quality in everything you do.
There’s genuine mutual respect here. A rewarding, reciprocal relationship that means we all get the best out of each other.
We’ll help you to learn about our clients, but even better is if you already have an interest in the wider economic context that they operate in. Be inquisitive and always ask questions.
You’ll understand the level of commitment required during your ATT and CTA exams. It’s not easy, but we’ll be there to support you along your journey with us. You'll play a major part in our ongoing success.
Surrounded by people who value you, everything you bring, and everything you’re ready to achieve. Ready to take the first step in your Saffery story?
What we’ll offer you
Because you do the best job you can for our clients and your colleagues, we do everything we can for you. We provide a mixture of core and flexible benefits, all designed to save you money and make your life a little easier.
Core benefits
- Annual leave allowance, which increases in line with length of service,
- A 35-hour working week with flexibility around our core hours of 10am-4pm,
- A contributory pension plan (we’ll contribute 5% of salary on a matched basis with you from the date you join),
- Life assurance cover based on 4 x annual salary,
- Working from home allowance of £25 a month,
- Our Profit-Sharing Plan, enabling you to share in the firm’s profits (usually c.£1,000), and
- Paid overtime or time off in lieu.
Flexible benefits
- Our agile working policy gives you the option to work from home for up to three days per week,
- Access to health assessments and GP support, cancer screenings, and our BUPA health cash plan,
- Critical illness cover, dental, and travel insurance,
- We’ve got a Techscheme, Cyclescheme and a Gymflex scheme,
- A Workplace ISA,
- Paid travel expenses when working at offices other than your contracted office, and
- Generous referral bonuses if you help bring in new clients or colleagues.
We’re also committed to being a fully inclusive employer and have a huge focus on equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I). When you start with us, you’ll have the opportunity to join a number of people network groups, as well as be a part of our growing ED&I network.
Who we are
Saffery is a partner-led and people-focused firm of chartered accountants, tax and business advisers. Since 1855, we’ve built long-term relationships with our diverse, high-profile clients, across varied and specialised sectors. As a proud member of Nexia, a worldwide network of trusted member firms, we’ve got access to local insight on a global scale.
We pride ourselves on our informal and inclusive culture, building an environment where people can be themselves and enjoy challenging, interesting, rewarding careers.
When you work with Saffery, the well-respected accountancy firm where heritage meets ambition, you work with people who know your name. Who know you as a human being, not just a job title. Everyone belongs here. Always.
Want to know more?
Life at Saffery
