Worst Decision I've Ever Made - Business Tax Services Associate KPMG Employee Review

1.0
Aug 16, 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Fair opportunities to women and minorities

Cons

Poor pay, long hours, unrealistic expectations, toxic environment. The Big 4 model has long been underpaying and overworking those at the associate and senior associate positions to compensate Partners of the LP more. This results in a toxic environment in which the tone at the top is often stated with greed. The Business Tax Services unit in Houston is impressively incapable, relative to other big 4 service lines. In it, you will find unrealistic managers who do not care to assist you in your career development. Long hours are mandated (minimum weekly 55-65 hour requirements) from July - October, and many are lucky enough to also experience it from January - April. The compensation resembles that of a moderately motivated uber driver, even for those who have obtained a Master's Degree and CPA. Those who desire to leave will find out that the exit opportunities are much less fruitful than peers in Audit or Advisory. I strongly advise anyone in accounting to focus their search on those fields, or, if insistent on tax, to seek out mid-market or industry positions elsewhere. Big 4 Tax Services is a dying pit of toxicity, and KPMG is the black hole in this metaphor.

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5.0
Jun 15, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good learning environment, the teams help support your development when you're new, and they take you under their wing to succeed in your role.

Cons

It is a grind, work-life balance can become nonexistent, and it can be draining.

4.0
Jun 11, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

It might sound cliche but the Pro for me is the people that I work with. I'm lucky enough to be staffed in a team with great leadership. Managers are actually willing to coach junior members and be a real mentor. I very much appreciate their efforts.

Cons

Long hours and office politics. This is pretty basic and obvious for any public accounting firms. Every time a quarter end, year end, or a special filing is going out, you can expect 10-14 hour days. It might be fine in your early career but it gets really tiring after a few years.

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