Not an environment I want to spend my career in... - Tax Associate Andersen Employee Review

2.0
Jun 6, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

They are building a good business and have good relationships with clients. If I needed tax preparation work, I'd probably use Andersen Tax, but I wouldn't ever work at a company like this. Life is too short for crappy employment!

Cons

My experience may be similar to other large accounting firms, but from speaking with my friends working at the Big4, I think my experiences at WTAS (now Andersen Tax) were substantially worse. Here's the gist of it: The firm didn't have a good process for copying tax returns so they asked every tax preparer to copy their own returns, get all the envelopes and "sign here" stickers placed, and put the copies in the nice packets. This process consistently took about 1 hour to do for a typical return. I spent 2 months perfecting the process until it took 22 minutes and I never had to walk over the same floor space twice. Then I presented what my improvements to managers and asked that we hire two meticulous temps during busy season, who I would personally train, so all the rest of us who were working our butts off and frequently sleeping under our desks could focus on tax return preparation instead of photocopying. The response was, "that's a wonderful idea, but 3 people before you have tried the same thing to no avail." I'm not willing to waste my life working for a company that isn't willing to accept the gift of productivity improvement from it's employees. I found a job within 2 weeks and was gone.

Explore other reviews about Andersen

5.0
Jun 3, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Quality work and exposure to different types of clients; quick upward trajectory; solid pay; commendable L&D department.

Cons

Super long hours during busier times of the year

4.0
Feb 23, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I spent under 4 years at the firm as a intern to senior associate. It was an amazing experience but I attribute my experience to having an extroverted personality which most people do NOT have going into public accounting. My team in particular was filled with amazing people that invested in you personally and professionally IF you worked hard to cultivate the relationships and grow your professional skillset. I was able to create meaningful relationships outside of the office and have fun at the firm.

Cons

I also attribute my positive experience to having great staff around me. That being said, the people you work with can really make or break you at the firm. There are some people that will demand absolute excellence and you will never be able to satisfy them because there will also be the next busy season filled with the same mannerisms and management styles. I also was not happy with the compensation especially when compared to similar roles at other accounting and tax firms.

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