Tax interviews. 7 titles, each with its own model.
Each page shows the competency model, the questions that test it, what changes with seniority, and where candidates lose the interview.
Last reviewed
Every Tax title
7 titlesWhat the report looks like for Tax
- The situation in one sentence: where, what was short, and by how much.
- The decision that was yours rather than the team’s, and what you chose not to do.
- One number or one consequence that shows it worked.
Every competency is scored out of five with a line you actually said as evidence, and the weakest answers are rewritten as structure and specifics, never a script.
What Tax interviewers keep scoring
Tax compliance & filing
Prepares and submits accurate returns on time (income tax, provisional tax, VAT, PAYE, dividends tax) with reconciliations to the accounting records and a clear audit trail for every number.
Tax technical knowledge & application
Applies the Income Tax Act, VAT Act and Tax Administration Act to real facts: deductibility, capital vs revenue, VAT apportionment, capital gains, and knows when to consult or seek a ruling.
SARS engagement & dispute resolution
Manages verifications, audits, objections and appeals: responds within time limits, assembles evidence, argues the position in writing and uses the dispute process and payment arrangements effectively.
Tax planning & advisory
Identifies legitimate tax efficiencies and risks in transactions, structures and remuneration; explains options with their commercial and anti-avoidance implications rather than pushing aggressive schemes.
Ethics, judgement & professional standards
Holds the line on accuracy and disclosure when clients or employers want aggressive positions or omissions; understands practitioner obligations, penalties and when to withdraw from an engagement.
Client & business communication
Explains tax consequences and deadlines to business owners, finance teams and individuals in plain language, manages expectations on refunds and payments, and delivers unwelcome news clearly.
Tax technology & data handling
Uses eFiling, e@syFile, tax software and Excel to extract, reconcile and analyse data for returns and reviews; automates recurring computations and spots data errors before submission.