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My brother is an accountant, and just told me that this week he had worked 41 hours by Tuesday night.

You know what the starting salary at a big 4 accounting firm is?
You know what the starting salary at well over 100 law firms is?

That's why I'm going to law school. If I'm going to work like a house elf, I may as well get paid like a malfoy.

.

story

Bro.

Everything I've read said most accountants work 40-45 hours a week. I mean, it is the high point of tax season, so yeah, hours might be a little rough right now.

ben4847 wrote:If I'm going to work like a house elf, I may as well get paid like a malfoy.

Are we making HP puns?

ben4847 wrote:My brother is an accountant, and just told me that this week he had worked 41 hours by Tuesday night.

You know what the starting salary at a big 4 accounting firm is?
You know what the starting salary at well over 100 law firms is?

That's why I'm going to law school. If I'm going to work like a house elf, I may as well get paid like a malfoy.

It's audit season and chances are you won't get a big law job.

Mce252 wrote:

ben4847 wrote:My brother is an accountant, and just told me that this week he had worked 41 hours by Tuesday night.

You know what the starting salary at a big 4 accounting firm is?
You know what the starting salary at well over 100 law firms is?

That's why I'm going to law school. If I'm going to work like a house elf, I may as well get paid like a malfoy.

It's audit tax season and chances are you won't get a big law job.

just sayin

TrojanHopeful wrote:

Mce252 wrote:

ben4847 wrote:My brother is an accountant, and just told me that this week he had worked 41 hours by Tuesday night.

You know what the starting salary at a big 4 accounting firm is?
You know what the starting salary at well over 100 law firms is?

That's why I'm going to law school. If I'm going to work like a house elf, I may as well get paid like a malfoy.

It's audit tax season and chances are you won't get a big law job.

just sayin

It's both. Just sayin.

Please share more.

Op is correct.
Can't comment on Biglaw, but I know for a fact auditors work 65+ hrs for minimal pay

doubletacct wrote:Op is correct.
Can't comment on Biglaw, but I know for a fact auditors work 65+ hrs for minimal pay

$55k with just a Bachelors isn't 'minimal pay'.

TrojanHopeful wrote:

Mce252 wrote:

ben4847 wrote:My brother is an accountant, and just told me that this week he had worked 41 hours by Tuesday night.

You know what the starting salary at a big 4 accounting firm is?
You know what the starting salary at well over 100 law firms is?

That's why I'm going to law school. If I'm going to work like a house elf, I may as well get paid like a malfoy.

It's audit tax season and chances are you won't get a big law job.

just sayin

It's always tax season for a Big 4 accountant. Audit is what causes ridiculous hours.

Mce252 wrote:

ben4847 wrote:My brother is an accountant, and just told me that this week he had worked 41 hours by Tuesday night.

You know what the starting salary at a big 4 accounting firm is?
You know what the starting salary at well over 100 law firms is?

That's why I'm going to law school. If I'm going to work like a house elf, I may as well get paid like a malfoy.

It's audit season and chances are you won't get a big law job.

chances are, very few people here would have gotten a big 4 job.

just sayin

Gail wrote:

Mce252 wrote:

ben4847 wrote:My brother is an accountant, and just told me that this week he had worked 41 hours by Tuesday night.

You know what the starting salary at a big 4 accounting firm is?
You know what the starting salary at well over 100 law firms is?

That's why I'm going to law school. If I'm going to work like a house elf, I may as well get paid like a malfoy.

It's audit season and chances are you won't get a big law job.

chances are, very few people here would have gotten a big 4 job.

just sayin

Well that's not a stacked inference at all. What the hell are we even talking about? Whether my chances as an accountant would have been the same had I pursued it instead of the law and, if the chances are greater, whether the lower pay is worth hours that may or may not be similar?

/thread

NYC Law wrote:

doubletacct wrote:Op is correct.
Can't comment on Biglaw, but I know for a fact auditors work 65+ hrs for minimal pay

$55k with just a Bachelors isn't 'minimal pay'.

In TLS land it is, compared to the 100k consulting/wall st job you can easily get right out of undergrad

COOL MAN!

As a former Big4 senior associate, let me first say that it is NOT tax season. It is audit season. The only accountants doing taxes right now are those who work at TTT firms that handle individual returns, since corporations file their returns September 15. Even the tax guys are doing audits right now, since auditing the tax provision is a big part of what a tax associate does at the Big4.

Also, I will just say that most associates, at least on the tax side, do not charge more than 2000 hours per year. There are 70 hour weeks, but then there are also weeks where you just spend the whole day on youtube or looking for stuff to do. There are many departments in biglaw that are like this too.

So anyway, 41 hours by Tuesday sucks but definitely doesn't happen all year long. And if you look at the salary of a 4th year associate at Big4 then you look at the salary of 80%+ law students, you'll see that it's not a bad way for a 25 year old to earn a living (since you get to start at 21). I chose law school because I want to stay in tax and ramp up my earning power, but I just wanted to chime in and defend my former colleagues' career choices. It's also nice for them to have doors opened to CFO and other C level positions, since Big4's are like resume gold.

Riles246 wrote:As a former Big4 senior associate, let me first say that it is NOT tax season. It is audit season. The only accountants doing taxes right now are those who work at TTT firms that handle individual returns, since corporations file their returns September 15.

If a corporation is operating on a calendar year basis their return is due in a week. While most large corporations operate on a fiscal year basis, Big 4 firms, as well as most firms, also prepare returns smaller and mid-size corporations that operate largely on a year end basis.

Oh, and you most people don't finish UG by 21, let alone start at a Big 4 firm (since they start in the fall).

Essentially, either you were a shitty associate that didn't observe what was going on around you, or you're making shit up.

birdlaw117 wrote:If a corporation is operating on a calendar year basis their return is due in a week. While most large corporations operate on a fiscal year basis, Big 4 firms, as well as most firms, also prepare returns smaller and mid-size corporations that operate largely on a year end basis.

Oh, and you most people don't finish UG by 21, let alone start at a Big 4 firm (since they start in the fall).

Essentially, either you were a shitty associate that didn't observe what was going on around you, or you're making shit up.

So I guess you've read the tax code, but it's clear that you've never actually worked in the field. It's cool that you're trying, though. And that you feel confident enough to call people names even though your facts are wrong. Large corporations ALWAYS file extensions on their returns and as a result, their returns are due September 15. The numbers aren't even ready by March 15 since the financial statements aren't even due until March 15. So unless you work at a tiny accounting firm that deals with individuals or small companies, or you happen to be in a small group at the Big4 that deals with uber-wealthy people, you are not dealing with tax returns right now.

And are you seriously arguing about whether people start when they are 21 or 22?! Sorry, I never ran a poll of when the new associates birthdays were so that I could figure out if they were 21 or 22 by their september start date. Clearly a good reason to call someone a "shitty associate", thanks.

NYC Law wrote:

doubletacct wrote:Op is correct.
Can't comment on Biglaw, but I know for a fact auditors work 65+ hrs for minimal pay

$55k with just a Bachelors isn't 'minimal pay'.

It is for a 65+ hr/wk gig.

Tax accountants are always working long hours and that is just exacerbated by "tax season." Audit accountants work ridiculous hours year round. I met up with a friend of Christmas break who works for one of the Big 4 and he told me he usually leaves the office around 7 each night and Saturdays are expected, with Sunday being a 50/50 chance of working. He was averaging between 65 - 70 hours and making like $60k or something like that. Not good return, IMO, especially since partnership prospects are just as bleak, and pay increases don't match Big Law.

I still don't recommend law school.

birdlaw117 wrote:

Riles246 wrote:As a former Big4 senior associate, let me first say that it is NOT tax season. It is audit season. The only accountants doing taxes right now are those who work at TTT firms that handle individual returns, since corporations file their returns September 15.

If a corporation is operating on a calendar year basis their return is due in a week. While most large corporations operate on a fiscal year basis, Big 4 firms, as well as most firms, also prepare returns smaller and mid-size corporations that operate largely on a year end basis.

Oh, and you most people don't finish UG by 21, let alone start at a Big 4 firm (since they start in the fall).

Essentially, either you were a shitty associate that didn't observe what was going on around you, or you're making shit up.

I guess Guchster didn't see my response to the inaccurate, classless response to my initial post. Whatever.

But I need to clarify for some in this thread that just because your friends say they "average" 65-70 hour weeks does not make it so. When I was at the Big4, they would circulate a quarterly utilization report. At the end of the year, maybe 5% of our entire region was over 100% utilization. 100% is equal to 2080 charged hours. The goal was 83%, and the majority fell between 70 and 90. This means that, on average, the associates billed around 1600 hours per year. This is waaaaaay less than "averaging 70 hour weeks". Your friends are complaining to you during their peaks, and silent during their troughs.

Big 4 is a great place to be if you can handle unpredictability. I liked it and might go back after LS. Unlike fellow posters, I am not in this thread to call people disrespectful names, only to provide my experiences. If you have trouble making biglaw, or just want a different option, the Big 4 is not a bad choice at all.

My brother works a lot so I'm going to law school. Ancient fucking aliens.