Tax Recruitment: From In-House to Practice (and Back)

What Employers Need to Understand When Hiring Tax Professionals

Tax careers rarely follow a straight line. Many professionals move between practice (Big 4 or mid-tier firms) and in-house roles — sometimes more than once.

For employers involved in tax recruitment, understanding why these moves happen — and what candidates are really looking for — is critical to securing and retaining the right people.

The reality of tax career paths

Most experienced tax professionals will have followed one or more of these paths:

• Practice → In-house

• In-house → Practice (less common, but important)

• Practice → In-house → Practice

• In-house → In-house (often changing scope, sector, or geography)

These transitions are not random. They reflect shifts in priorities around:

• Scope and technical depth

• Influence within the business

• Career progression

• Working environment and flexibility

Each move provides insight into what a candidate values — and what they may be looking to change.

Why tax professionals move from practice to in-house

Moving from practice into an in-house role remains one of the most common career shifts in tax.

Typical drivers include:

• Closer to the business — working in depth with one organisation rather than across multiple clients

• Ownership and implementation — seeing tax strategy through to execution

• Different pace and structure — less focus on utilisation and billable hours

• Work-life balance — often more predictable working patterns

Candidates moving into in-house tax roles typically bring:

• Strong technical foundations

• Broad exposure across industries and structures

• Experience managing multiple stakeholders and deadlines

However, these moves are rarely just about compensation.

👉 Employers hiring into in-house tax roles need to be clear on culture, expectations, and the true scope of the role — not just the job description.

Why some tax professionals move back into practice

Moving from in-house back into practice is less common — but it does happen, particularly at more senior levels.

When it does, it is typically a deliberate move rather than a default next step.

Common drivers include:

• Desire for variety — exposure to different clients, sectors, and technical challenges

• Clearer progression pathways — particularly toward senior leadership or partnership

• Stronger advisory focus — less operational responsibility

• Platform and visibility — access to recognised firms and broader market reach

Professionals making this move bring a valuable differentiator:

• First-hand experience of how in-house tax functions operate

• A practical understanding of implementation challenges

• Strong commercial awareness

👉 In many cases, this combination can accelerate progression within practice, particularly where firms value credibility with clients.

These candidates are often highly valuable — but also more selective, particularly around culture, workload, and long-term sustainability.

What matters most in tax hiring

Across both practice and in-house hiring, senior tax professionals tend to focus on the same core factors:

• Scope — Is the role meaningful, but also realistic?

• Influence — Will they be involved in decision-making at the right level?

• Progression — Is there a credible next step?

• Culture — How does the team operate, particularly under pressure?

• Flexibility — What does flexible working look like in practice?

Employers who can answer these questions clearly — and honestly — are already ahead of much of the market.

How to position in-house tax roles effectively

When hiring into in-house tax roles, particularly from practice, clarity and credibility are key.

Focus on:

• Business impact — what decisions the role will influence

• Exposure — interaction with senior stakeholders

• Scope — breadth versus depth across tax disciplines

• Change agenda — systems, restructurings, expansion, or new markets

Candidates moving from practice are typically looking for roles where they can shape outcomes, not just maintain existing processes.

How to position practice roles effectively

When attracting in-house talent back into practice, it’s important to address concerns directly.

Be clear on:

• Workload and sustainability — how busy periods are managed

• Type of work — advisory versus compliance balance

• Client mix — sectors, complexity, and scale

• Progression — what it realistically takes to move forward

The move back into practice can be compelling — but only if the environment feels credible and sustainable.

Common challenges in tax recruitment

Across both in-house and practice hiring, there are consistent issues that deter strong candidates:

• Vague or shifting role scope

• Unrealistic expectations

• Limited access to decision-makers

• Inflexible working models

• Poorly managed recruitment processes

In a competitive market, these challenges don’t just affect individual hires — they can impact your broader hiring reputation.

The role of specialist tax recruitment

Because tax careers regularly move between practice and in-house, specialist tax recruitment plays an important role in aligning expectations.

A specialist recruiter can:

• Translate what candidates from each background are really looking for

• Test role briefs against current market conditions

• Position opportunities credibly to different profiles

• Provide insight on salary, location, and hiring timelines

At Taylor Curcio, we support tax and trade compliance hiring across international markets, working with professionals who have moved between practice and in-house roles.

This provides a clear view of what drives hiring decisions — and how to position roles effectively.

Final thoughts on tax hiring

Movement between practice and in-house is not a risk — it’s a defining feature of the tax market.

Employers who consistently secure high-calibre tax professionals are those who:

• Understand the motivations behind career moves

• Position roles clearly and realistically

• Use real-time market insight to shape hiring strategy

If you are planning your next tax hire, it is worth considering how your opportunity will be perceived — whether candidates are coming from practice, in-house, or both.