In tax practice, this is a question I hear all the time. And it highlights a key point: titles in practice are highly contextual. A “Tax Manager” in one firm rarely maps neatly onto another.
Big 4 vs Top 30 vs Boutique Firms
Big 4:
- Typically, a Tax Manager has 1-4 years’ post-qualification experience.
- The role often combines compliance, advisory, and client-facing work, with exposure to large OMBs, Corporate & International clients and high-value deals.
- Manager-grade individuals usually manage a team of seniors and juniors, are involved in various tax structuring and advisory, and gain experience with complex technical issues.
- The title aligns closely with market perception, progression beyond Manager can be competitive.
Top 30 firms:
- The Manager title is more variable. Some managers may have 2-4 years’ experience, others up to 10 years (and even QBEs), depending on the firm’s internal structure.
- Managers in Top 30 firms often take on a broader mix of responsibility, sometimes combining technical work with client relationship management, without necessarily having a large team.
- Advisory exposure may be narrower, but there can be more autonomy than at the Big 4.
Boutique and SME firms:
- Titles are even less standardised. A Tax Manager often have a number of years’ experience, reflecting a flat hierarchy rather than seniority.
- Managers often cover end-to-end client engagements, including compliance, advisory, and corporate tax planning sometimes on smaller scale.
- The role may offer broader commercial exposure and faster progression in terms of responsibility—but the clients may be smaller or less complex.
Why You Might Move Lateral in Title
Even if the title is the same, the experience and exposure can be dramatically different:
- Client portfolio: Are you working with multinationals, PE-backed businesses, or smaller clients?
- Scope of work: Compliance-heavy or a mix of advisory, structuring, and due diligence?
- Team size: Will you manage juniors or operate more independently?
- Career trajectory: Could this lateral move actually accelerate your path to Senior Manager or Director?
In practice, a lateral title move often represents a step up in responsibility, exposure, and experience, even if it’s not reflected in the job title. Often candidates think that a lateral move to a Big 4 is what is needed to get into an in house role.
Bottom Line
In tax practice, don’t judge a role by its title alone. Context is everything. A Manager in a boutique firm could be running engagements end-to-end with minimal supervision, while a Manager at a Big 4 firm might have a narrower remit but gain exposure to complex, high-profile clients.
When considering your next move, dig into the scope, client exposure, and progression opportunities. Titles are relative—but the right role can still be a meaningful step forward.
