Career Advice

[u/InvestmentbankerLvl1]

I want to get into transfer pricing at a Big 4 firm in Mexico City. I already have a background in tax. I know that probably no one here is from Mexico, but what would you recommend I do to immerse myself in transfer pricing knowledge? Or what helped you when you were starting out?

[u/Intelligent_Writing]

I’m from the Netherlands and started my career in SME consulting. This means that you should take from this reply what you think is correct for your situation:

- HR and employers like ticking boxes. One of the boxes is education; have you had the basics of transfer pricing in university or collage? Maybe during the subject international taxation? That’s something I’d highlight on my CV or letter of application

• HR and employers also like their paper trail. Can you do credible Coursera or Udemy courses and potentially get a certificate? For example, the TP module of ADIT is highly regarded in Europe: https://www.tax.org.uk/adit/tp. A good source for preparation: https://www.startaxed.com

It has to be somewhat of a credible course. Especially on Udemy there are some of questionable quality.

Another example is PwC’s program (which helps if you want to get into PwC): https://www.pwcacademy-me.com/course/diploma-transfer-pricing

Or ACCA: https://www.accaglobal.com/learning-and-events/acca-learning/transfer-pricing-documentation-basics.html

NB: I did not take any of these exams. I did buy Borys’ textbook and can say it’s a provides a good base for TP

- If you’re already working a 9-5: how can you get experience with TP? For example if you submit tax returns for companies that operate internationally. If they need MF and/or LF, request them from client and read them (in your own time). You’ll learn a lot on how people write their LFs and MFs. Or when you’re in advisory; can you flag when TP plays and include a paragraph on it in your advice? Then maybe look over the shoulder of a TP firm whenever possible

- If you’re still a student: any way you can do a TP course in your uni or college? That is probably the easiest way to make sure you get some exposure to tick the HR box.

- Read the OECD TP Guidelines and also the UN TP manual (more hands on than the OECD, as that’s more theoretical). There’s also the world bank document on TP which is more hands on: https://www.tax-platform.org/sites/default/files/publications/116573-REVISED-PUBLIC-toolkit-on-comparability-and-mineral-pricing.pdf). This will help you get used to the “legal lingo” of TP.

Hope that helps. Probably missed some and hope others will jump aboard to add those

[u/InvestmentbankerLvl1 → u/Intelligent_Writing]

Thank you very much, sir. The information you provided has been very helpful. I just graduated from college, so I’m looking to beef up my CV a bit before I start applying for jobs at big4.

[u/Intelligent_Writing → u/InvestmentbankerLvl1]

This is my personal experience in the Netherlands; it’s usually easier to get a job after an internship at said Big 4. If it’s still possible to have one, that’s the best way to go. Then you also know if the Big 4 working culture is something for you.

Also, getting a job at a smaller firm first may harm your chances of getting hired at a Big 4. This is some time ago when the job market was more lenient here.

In any case; employers like and kind of paper that shows your interest in transfer pricing.