[Anonymous]

I’ve heard busy season is really busy for audit. I was wondering how busy it’ll be. Is it like you must work 15+ hours every weekday and also need to work on weekends? No way to control it? No matter how fast you work, you’ll get assigned next tasks? I heard auditors work at a client’s site. No chance to work at home sometimes?

I was wondering if tax is less busy. I don’t want to miss time with my family.

[Mary 2496]

Tax is crazy busy whether it's a Big 4 or not. Tax is busy for probably all accounting firms. We're not a Big4 and our tax dept. is busy year-round.

[TNCPA16]

The EY auditors are ALWAYS at our office. During busy season, they are here every weekend and have been known to stay well past midnight. The ITRA team has mandatory 55 hour work weeks during their busy season…although, it seems like busy season is year round for them. I can't tell you how many times I've had emails from them at like 11:00 at night.

If you don't want to miss time with your family, don't work in public accounting. Get a corporate job – we work 8:30 to 5:00 and no one from my team has ever stopped foot in the office on a weekend 🙂

[mla1169]

Never worked in public but I can tell from watching those who have audited us they work late at night and it is never a matter of “how fast” they work, but how long they have to wait for the client to provide them the information they need. And when they audited the company I worked for, they spent a full week on site then another week on our audit from back in their office.

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[Mary 2496]

@ jilly

That's the best advice I've ever heard — If you don't want to miss time with your family, don't work in public accounting.

I second that. I actually grew up in public accounting. My mom started our firm when I was five. It started in the basement of our house. As I watched her (now our) firm grow, it is so true. Public accounting is not the place where you can enjoy a lot of family time and still commit to work.

Best.advice.ever for public accounting work.

[fuzyfro89]

It's hard to be specific, as every office, service line, and client is different.

The biggest thing is lack of preditability. You have general knowledge that in audit you'll be busy from Jan-Mar, but other times can also get busy without much warning. Tax is generally from Feb-Apr and Aug-Sep. Also, what was intended to be smooth inevitably won't be due to client turnover, team turnover, new regulations/reporting requirements/laws/etc that you have to re-assess and then review.

Certain times of the year are super busy, while others are less hectic. The most important thing to accept is, it depends!

[MydnightDarkfyre]

@Jilly – I believe it depends on the engagement/client. I am ITRA and I only have 50 hour weeks…and it's only for Oct-Jan. Don't scare people now 😉

FAR: 82 (Becker) 07/09/2014
AUD: 80 (Becker) 10/01/2014
BEC: 76 (Becker) 11/26/2014
REG: 82 (Becker) 02/16/2015

GA Licensed CPA 8/7/2015

CISA: 564 (PASSED) 6/11/2016 - Certification pending

[smitty94]

I was on a big public company last busy season, and we regularly worked until 2AM, but didn't work Sundays. Right before we filled the 10K we went to work at 8:30 on a Wednesday morning and didn't' leave work until Thursday at 6:00 PM, we worked straight through the two days and one night. The partner was there with us the whole time. My Public accounting experience = no family life.

AUD - 64, 87
FAR - 81
REG - 65, 69, Nov 22
BEC - 88

[TNCPA16]

@MydnightDarkfyre – clearly you aren't working hard enough if you are only working 50 hour weeks! 🙂

[Rocky123]

Ugh. I was entertaining the thought of going into public, but now I won't. I don't mind working, but I'm not missing out on time with my family for any job.

The tallest oak in the forest was once just a little nut that held its ground.

AUD-PASS
BEC-PASS
REG-PASS
FAR-PASS

Rocky123, CPA

[rzrbkfaith]

Rocky – I work at a small firm and love it. Tax season, we work 50 hours a week (I only worked 2 weeks more than 50 hours last year) and otherwise we are 40 hours a week. Its really not that bad if you consider a small firm! 🙂

AUD - 99
BEC - 97
REG - 91
FAR - 1/8/16

[Mary 2496]

It does vary … all firms do. This isn't to say that every firm in public accounting is the same. I love spending time with my family and do so at every possible chance. I also need to spend extra time with my son, as he has special needs. I have been in public accounting for decades. You do find a way to work it all out, regardless of how busy you are at work. At a certain point, it does fall into place. I wouldn't even consider another field in accounting. I totally love public accounting as much as I do from the very first day I was exposed to it, as a young child.

[ShelahV]

I work in industry for a publically traded regional bank. The work life balance is awesome. I work 8-5 M-F most weeks. Month end and especially year end do a a few more hours for a week or so but not that many. And since I work for a bank I get paid federal holidays. I've also had the chance to be involved in allot of different things which has definitely helped whole studying. I know allot of people on here have a goal of working for a big 4 or big regional firm but not me. I love my job & my company and I feel challenged regularly. Plus I have a great schedule so maybe this or something similarwould be a good fit for you and your family.

BEC 8.14.14 - 87!
FAR 1.8.15 - 89!
REG 4.15.15 - 86!
AUD 7.2.15 - 90!

Application submitted 8.6.15
Licensed CPA 8.19.15

Benefit in living in a small state SD!

[supercpa11]

@smitty how were you guys able to function on thur without any sleep?? should be against the law to keep you guys overnight like that

[Mary 2496]

^^ what s/he said. I was wondering the same thing.

[Herbieherb]

I've worked in industry my whole career and in govt now…ive worked with many former big 4 public accountants who switched over. Some of them they like to stay late, even if no work to do. I think they are just putting on a show LOL..

NEW YORK- DONE

[Author]

Replies