Articleship Guidance: For SRCC Students/ Big 4 Aspirants

Hi, Dear Juniors. I am Vaibhav Bansal, an alumnus of SRCC (Batch 2019-2022). Currently I am pursuing my articleship in Global Business Tax department (also known as Corporate & International Tax department in KPMG) in Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLP, Gurugram. This article aims to address some common queries regarding articleship. This blog is written with an assumption that you are targeting Big 4 firms. (Personal Advice: Unless someone in your family is having a well-established CA practise & you are very clear about continuing the same, it is highly advisable to target Big 4 or at least best among top firms. Big 4 brand help a lot in getting the best of placements in ICAI Campus or even outside in shortlisting. Moreover, the level of professionalism, exponential growth, networking opportunities is unmatched). Hope I can add value to your reading time...

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1. Start Applying: When & How ?
• When: Early January or Late December. Keep tracking LinkedIn & keep a check on campus of other colleges as well. It might happen that firms are not visiting campus, but have started hiring articles externally.  
• How:
• SRCC Campus: During my time, companies started coming in 1st week of February. Among Big 4s, only PWC came for Stat Audit profile. Other Firms that visited: BDO, Grand Thorton, Bobby Parikh Associates. If you want to apply for Big 4 through campus, then you can wait maximum up to January 1st week or 2nd week max, otherwise, it is advisable to try out other ways.     
• LinkedIn: Connecting with Big 4 HRs, Managers, Deputy managers, Assistant Managers & sending your CV with a well-drafted polite message  
• HR Mail IDs: Try to jugaad HR mail IDs (probably telegram groups, friends / seniors, LinkedIn) 
• Seniors Referral: Connect with your seniors already working in BIG 4s or other reputed firms & ask them to refer your CV or profile to HR or there respective managers. They can confirm, if there is vacancy in their team & accordingly can confirm. 
2. Available profiles (As per my knowledge) 
• Statutory Audit :- Involves preparing work papers (by sample testing for various items of financial statements & control testing to determine risk of material misstatement (Inherent Risk*Control Risk). Remember work not documented is work not done. You will become an excel master in this domain. Moreover, you will learn in depth application of Ind AS. For further details, you can contact any other person working in audit domain.  
• Corporate & International Taxation :- Broadly involves Advisory (Like advising entity whether it needs to deduct TDS or not on specific transactions by analysing DTAAs, Compliance (TDS/TCS Returns, Annual corporate tax returns, Returns of AOP/ Companies/ Trust & Charitable Institutions/ HNIs), Litigation (Assisting client in filing submissions before tax officer for various notices received under various sections of income tax, researching relevant case laws, advising client & representing in ITAT/ HC/ SC): Working over multiple clients, varied assignments & exponential learning involved.  
• M&A Taxation:- Can connect with Bhavay Agarwal on LinkedIn or alternatively find the link to his blog below.  
• Indirect taxation:-  Can connect with relevant person on LinkedIn. 
• Risk Advisory (Internal Control):- Can connect with relevant person on LinkedIn.
• Transfer Pricing:- Can connect with relevant person on LinkedIn. 
• Capital Markets: Currently, this profile is offered by PWC. Can connect with those working in this field. 
3. Start Preparing: When & How 
1. When: (Ideally start preparing slowly in early December & gradually pace up till early January, so that the probability of having a panic attack at last moment, in your case tends to 0)
2. How:
• Statutory Audit: 
• Important Topics: CARO, AS, SA (Worst scenario topics: Ind AS basics/ Amendments in Ind AS). Refer your CA Intermediate audit & accounts module.
• Some Resources:- For excel sheet question compendium, frequent questions pdf, important topics list, common HR questions, my own AS/ SA notes, you may WhatsApp (contact no. below).  
• Corporate & International Taxation:- Important Topics Link: 
• Important topics: PGBP, TDS/TCS, Return Filing, Due Dates, Tax Planning/ Avoidance/ Evasion, Relevant Budget along with Memorandum to Budget (I referred Bhanwar Borana Sir's budget analysis on YouTube), CA Final DT revision videos on YouTube (I referred to Bhanwar Borana Sir's videos for preparing some CA final topics: DTAA, BEPS, Equalisation Levy, Assessment, Calculation in Book profits in corporate taxation). Refer my blog for detailed guidance. 
• If you want my DT notes, you may WhatsApp. 
• Indirect taxation:- (Can refer to CA Inter IDT syllabus or alternatively & preferably, synchronise your preparation with B.Com (Hons.) Semester-VI IDT preparation. If you want my IDT notes, you may WhatsApp. 
• Transfer Pricing:- Can Refer to CA Final Transfer Pricing chapter under International Taxation (Paper: DT & International Taxation)  
• M&A Taxation: Can refer to questions asked from my friend, Bhavay Agarwal here:- https://lifes-musing.blogspot.com/2022/06/interview-questions-m-tax.html 
4. Questions asked in my Interview

1. Round 1: Technical Round Questions (Deputy Manager & Manager)
1. Questions around budget
2. Any 2 recent things of Direct Tax in budget
3. Examples of practical consultancy that you gave for taxation to your friends (Tax Harvesting method LTCG 112A/ HRA & other deductions)
4. BEPS (Base Erosion Profit Shifting) (basic idea) 
5. Types of assessment in income tax (Best Judgement/Ex-Parte, Income Escaping, Scrutiny) 
6. Corporate tax rates (Domestic/ Foreign/ MAT)
7. Why MAT was introduced (Because companies used to avoid tax using benefits given by government, too often & this was delaying economic growth) 
8. 115BAB/ BAC applicability
9. Why you want to do CA & not opting for Placements at SRCC
10. How many tuitions you are planning to take. How will you balance your studies with work? [Answer this question diplomatically]

1. Round 2: HR Round Questions (Director & Partner)
1. Introduce Yourself
2. Why Taxation
3. Famous personality in Deloitte from Rohtak [as I said that, I belong to Rohtak & Deloitte's Global CEO, Mr. Punit Renjen is from Rohtak]
4.  Favourite Sport
5. Do you like travelling [Answer in affirmative obviously, quote instances to prove]
6. Any example that can prove you are hardworking
7. Any instance where you set an example in front of others [To check your leadership skills or your dedication to work]
8.  What do you expect, you will be doing in articleship (basically, type of clients that you will face and what you will do) [You can say that you will get an opportunity to analyse new age business & analyse undefined/ unspecified taxation aspects for them. Here, Partner specifically discussed about service rendering done through YouTube Videos & confusions prevailing around taxing such services]
9. Your Favourite Celebrity
10. About extracurricular activities you have done apart from academics [College Societies, competitions, Publications, public speaking, certificate courses]
11. What do you want to do in life [Your vision/ ambition/ ultimate goal]
12. About your family [Who all are there]
13. Your CA Final attempt due
14. What are you going to do this Sunday? [This was around February & colleges re-opened after COVID, so I answered, that I will be moving to Delhi]

If this piece could be of some help to you or could add some value to your time, do comment or WhatsApp at +91-94684-60834 to motivate me continue writing :)

*Alternate Detailed Experience of Bhavay Agarwal:- https://lifes-musing.blogspot.com/2022/04/articleship-hunting-not-as-daunting-as.html?m=1