Related Posts
More Posts
Is everyone on a date, I’m still working 🥹
Need 11 likes to unlock dm features
Please help
Thanks
Additional Posts in Lawyers in Public Accounting
New to Fishbowl?
Download the Fishbowl app to
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.



Gtfo of compliance or salt and into international or M&A. Do a year and then jump to a big4 national/nyc/sfo office.
I went from ~$58k (Midwest office PwC, international tax) >> $140k (NYC office EY, M&A tax). I had 1 year of exp. when I made the jump to EY.
I am a JD with no accounting/finance background. I do not have an LLM
Really any high-controversy area of tax is best suited for JDs. (I am similar to the background above, not a business undergrad, no LLM.) M&A, Transfer Pricing, R&D Credits/other incentives, some aspects of International. I don’t understand why SALT has always been a magnet for JDs??
I have the same background as above - my skill set was best suited for areas with more writing and set me apart for IRS responses, appeals, etc.
Agree, get out of compliance but International often sounds sexy but some firms you end up just doing compliance, so try to focus on planning if you go the Intl route.
JD start around 85-95 at my firm.
How much does it go up by each year would you say?
I think we’ve seen 10-14% raises but it may be less with current conditions.
What kind of tax practice are you joining at this mid-tier firm? I would say that generally, salary progression for JDs in M&A or international tax is a bit better than the progression of a JD in a tax compliance role.
I really wish I had made the jump to M&A a lot sooner than I did. Honestly I would recommend keeping an eye open to see if there are M&A tax opportunities elsewhere, you don’t even have to wait to start with this firm. Compliance is great experience for learning tax, but it’s not a place you want to get stuck in long term, salary wise or career wise, as a JD.
Agreed that compliance can be a slow way to kill you career as an attorney and the pay is poor. Federal M&A or int’l tax planning are the best routes (work is genuinely interesting) and will open up doors outside of accounting firms that compliance never will
Rising Star
I’m looking to get into it. I have a JD and have been doing compliance. I can’t seem to find anyone hiring for the position.
I started at 100k in International. We do compliance but we do a lot of planning which is way better for an attorney imo. I do have a LLM from top tier tax (NYU/GT) though.
Bonuses are bad. Raises… well I’m not keeping hopes high.