A C C O U N T A N T S
Common interview questions to be prepared for
A C C O U N T A N T S
Common interview questions to be prepared for
A C C O U N T A N T S
Common interview questions to be prepared for
Gearing up for your next accounting interview? You might be asked these common questions:
A C C O U N T A N T S
Common interview questions to be prepared for
Gearing up for your next accounting interview? You might be asked these common questions:
Gearing up for your next accounting interview? You might be asked these common questions:
Gearing up for your next accounting interview? You might be asked these common questions:
Can you describe your current client base?
Be prepared to explain your client base. This includes industries and anything within those industries you might either have developed an expertise in, sizes of clients (sales volumes), and where you fit in on the engagement (who are you reporting to and who to you etc.).
How many simultaneous engagements are you managing?
This is especially important for managers and above. Make note of everything you're currently working on and be ready to go into detail.
Can you explain a time where you had a technical issue with a client and how you handled it?
Have examples of times you had a client technical issue. Be able to explain the issue and how you resolved it.
What is your reson for wanting to make a move?
If interviewing for an industry group outside your current experience, have a fully developed reason why you want to move.
General Tax
General Tax
What are your responsibilities?
Be able to articulate what you are responsible for and how much time is spent reviewing opposed to preparation (compliance practices).
Can you discuss prep and review of FIN 48 disclosures as well as M1 calculations?
If you service publicly traded corporations (or those corporations that have publicly traded debt) be prepared to discuss ASC 740 calculations, as well as footnotes. Be able to discuss the prep and review of FIN 48 disclosures as well as M1 calculations.
What states and jurisdictions have you worked with (SALT)?
Be able to discuss the specific states and jurisdictions you have worked with. If you’ve had exposure to Sales & Use, Income Franchise, Credits and Incentives, and/or M&A, be able to articulate your experience.
Do you work on publicly traded corporations, or companies that have publicly traded debt?
If so, you need to be prepared to discuss ASC 740 calculations and footnotes, as well as prep and review of FIN 48 disclosures and M1 calculations.
HNW Tax Compliance and Consulting
HNW Tax Compliance and Consulting
What types of returns have you produced?
Be able to discuss what volume of clients do you service at one time? Do you have experience with trust and estate work?
What types of tax minimization strategies have you employed in the past?
Be able to discuss strategies you've utilized. Have you structured the tax burden on multi-generational wealth?
International Tax
International Tax
Are you more compliance or consulting?
Be able to discuss if you're mostly inbound or outbound. Do you have experience domiciling or re-domiciling foreign companies in the US or have you done the same for US companies in a foreign country?
Can you provide examples of structuring foreign deals?
Include details about size complexity, type of structure created etc.
Transfer Pricing Tax
Transfer Pricing Tax
Can you provide examples of countries you have created master files for?
Give me examples of the number of entities and the number of counties you have created master files for or the size and complexity of the files that you have worked with. Also specifically what types of clients you have done transfer pricing work for in the past is very important. IT and IP have very complicated repercussions for Transfer Pricing people. Tangible goods are easier to work with but have some supply chain issues.
Industry Tax
Industry Tax
Can you describe a recent tax issue you were not familiar with that came up with one of your clients?
Be able to go into detail about how you handled the issue and what the outcome was.
How would you explain a specific tax issue to someone without any experience in tax?
Use examples such as a CFO etc.
Can you walk me through your ASC 740 experience?
What are some temporary differences you have experience with? Are you reviewing and/or preparing the provision on a quarterly and year end basis?
Corporate Accounting
Corporate Accounting
Do you assist with the month end close?
Be able to list what your responsibilities are (for example: prepare journal entries, accruals, fixed assets, AP / AR).
What is your understanding of GAAP?
Be able to discuss your understanding of GAAP, as well as your financial statement preparation experience. Be prepared to discuss if you assist with the audit as well.
What GL systems do you use or have you used in the past?
Be able to discuss the systems and if you've assisted with a system implementation.
Financial Reporting
Financial Reporting
How often do you report internally?
If applicable, be prepared to discuss how you divide your time.
Can you discuss your experience with SEC reporting?
Be prepared to discuss your experience with SEC reporting – Form 10-Q, Form 10-K, Press Release etc.
Fund Accounting
Fund Accounting
Can you discuss striking the NAV?
This is a process you should be prepared to discuss.
Do you have experience with waterfall calculations?
If you do, are you able to explain in detail how you do it?
Can you explain your product knowledge?
What securities have you been exposed to? Be able to speak to fund strategies, global macro, merger arbitrage etc.
Can you discuss how your time is spent at work?
Be able to discuss how much of your time is spent on the expenses vs. the revenue side of the business.
What is your modeling experience?
Have you built any models from scratch?
Can you explain how your current or past work had an impact on the business?
Go into detail about how your work has driven decisions in your current or past organizations.
Do you help prepare the yearly budget?
if so be prepared to explain your methodology and what elements you’re responsible for.
What stages of the audit process do you have experience with?
If applicable, be sure to include: Risk Identification, Audit Methodology, Audit Plan, Audit Execution, Audit Findings, Audit Remediation & Recommendations.
What is your experience with risk identification?
Go into detail about your experience with identification of risks and the firm’s control environment.
What is your understanding of audit methodology?
Do you understand audit methodology, audit universe, audit benchmarking, and subsequent risk identification?
What is your experience creating audit plans?
Have you created one from scratch in accordance with the firm’s Risk profile and Audit Methodology that is established by the Chief Auditor and the Audit Committee?
Do you have experience with tests of controls?
If so, please include what areas.
Can you describe your experience with audit findings?
Are you responsible for documentation of any / all of the audit findings? Have you prepared an audit report or a subsequent findings deck. Have you presented this to the Chief Auditor and/or Audit Committee?
What is your experience with risk matrices?
Be able to explain if you've designed any from scratch.
How does your current work touch on the firm's financial reporting process?
What areas of the firm’s financial reporting process do you have experience with?
What is your experience with identifying issues and presenting them to upper management?
Be able to go into details about what your recommendations for improvement were.