How I Got Here

I first heard about Ayco when a representative from the company spoke on campus. I applied for an internship with the National Tax Group. I didn't have any experience preparing tax returns when I started, but the six-week training program was very helpful.

After my internship I was offered a position.

Originally I wanted to work for the FBI and earned a degree in criminal justice from RIT. I found out the FBI wanted people with an accounting background, so I also earned an MS in accounting from the University at Albany.

I was interested in the fact that Ayco had recently been acquired by Goldman Sachs. I thought to myself: "If Goldman Sachs wanted to acquire this company, there must be some good things about it." I was also interested in the story of how Ayco started and how it has grown to where it is today.

What I Do

I am an associate in the National Tax Group. I work with associates in the New Jersey, Texas and Georgia regions, preparing tax returns for their clients.

I'm motivated for tax season by the challenge. The work is difficult and the hours are long, but everybody else is going through the same thing, so you do not feel alone. My days are interesting because I see different tax issues each day that I may not have seen before.

The returns we prepare are some of the most complex returns you will find. Many clients file in numerous states, so you must be aware of various state tax rules. The returns may consist of K-1s, business income, rental income, foreign issues and numerous other issues.

A Typical Day

In the morning I concentrate on prepping various returns, such as gift returns, trust returns, amendments, correspondence and individual returns. Those with the highest priority are the ones I tackle first.

Around 12 p.m. I usually take lunch with co-workers. We either go out for lunch or stay at the office.

After lunch I'll check e-mail and voicemail for any urgent issues. I'll spend the afternoon concentrating on cleaning up returns that I have received to review.

I usually wrap up the day making sure I have called or e-mailed everyone who has contacted me. I'll also organize my files for the next day. My day typically ends around 5 p.m. except during tax season, when I may not go home until late in the evening.

My Colleagues

It's important to have a good relationship with your team. These are the people you will be interacting with every day. One of the main reasons I accepted this job was because of the people. Everyone was so nice and willing to help me out with any questions I had.

Every return you work on has a reviewer, and the better you work together, the more efficient you are in completing returns.

Commitment To Clients

The client is priority number one. Whenever any work is done, the primary focus is how it affects the client.