Yingchao Ma

Analyst in Tax Consulting

6.30 AM

I get out of bed, take a shower and prepare breakfast to welcome the new day.

7.45 AM

Before I get to work, I grab a coffee from Eclipse. At 8am this morning I have a conference call with a client from the US to discuss tax planning for their Australian branch. Before the meeting, I discuss with my manager who is leading the conference call to make sure we have all the documents ready for the topics we are covering today.

Normally, my working day starts at 8.45am. However, because this client is from USA, we need to be more flexible about the time arrangement. The client joined us around 8.15 am as they have a blizzard in USA and had some traffic delays.

Pitcher Partners Yingchao Ma at her desk

8.00 AM

I attend the conference call and make notes during it.

I discuss with my manager the action items from the conference call.

I finish background research and summarise the action items. I contact other divisions to get fee details and procedures that we might need to provide to the client based on our conversation.

I check my emails and add urgent matters in my to-do list for today. For example, there are a few returns due for lodgement today. Therefore I need to check with the parties who are working on it to make sure we get everything ready for the lodgement.

10.30 AM

I receive a call from a manager who has a client settling a property very soon. I need to attend to the registration for the entity urgently, for example ABN, TFN and GST.

I lodge the application and contact ATO officers to ask for further information required for the registration and get back to the client to organise documents for the registration.

11.20 AM

I receive an email from a client with some GST queries. I discuss the matter with our GST specialist team. From here, I forward the email to our GST specialist to reply. It is really good to have specialists within our group as they have detailed knowledge on their area of expertise. I always make sure I confirm with them before I get back to a client for complicated queries. It is also a good learning process through talking with our specialists, as they have in depth technical experience and are willing to help and teach.

Pitcher Partners Yingchao Ma discussing GST queries with her colleague

12.00 PM

I attend to our State Tax Team technical training. The training covers some stamp duty and land tax updates we need to be aware of. We also talk about the potential risks that may impact our clients. We need to ensure our clients are aware of the potential issues.

1.00 PM

Lunchtime. We have flexible lunchtime, people normally take it between 12 to 2 pm.

I have lunch with some of my friends from other divisions. We take a walk together alongside the Yarra River. It is always good to catch up with friends from other divisions and talk about the different type of work we are doing in the firm.

Pitcher Partners Yingchao Ma lunchtime

2.00 PM

I attend to a prospective client meeting with a manager. The client needs tax advice regarding setting up group structures for property development.

After the meeting, I discuss with my manager about the potential structure that is suitable for the client. I prepare an engagement letter, including details of the services we will provide to the client and a free quotation. Figures crossed, hope we can get the work.

Pitcher Partners Yingchao Ma meeting with her manager

4.00 PM

I receive a call from someone in the Private Client division regarding an international tax question. I let them know I’ll get back to them after I confirm my answers with a member of the international tax group.

4.30 PM

I prepare tax returns for an individual client and his family trust. I discuss with the senior analyst in charge of the group the questions I have in the work papers.

Pitcher Partners Yingchao Ma preparing tax return with her client

5.15 PM

It has been a busy day for me. I updated my to-do list and get ready to go home.

6.30 PM

I decide to go for a run and get some fresh air in the park. It is always good to do some exercise after a busy day at the office.

6.30 PM

I decide to go for a run and get some fresh air in the park. It is always good to do some exercise after a busy day at the office.

7.30 PM

I prepare dinner and spend some time with my family. I am thinking about getting a dog so I decide now is a good time to do some research on what breed is suitable for me.

10.00 PM

I watch some TV shows and get ready to go to sleep.