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:
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Typically, a Tax Manager has 1-4 years’ post-qualification experience.
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The role often combines compliance, advisory, and client-facing work, with exposure to large OMBs, Corporate & International clients and high-value deals.
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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.
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The title aligns closely with market perception, progression beyond Manager can be competitive.
Top 30 firms:
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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.
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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.
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Advisory exposure may be narrower, but there can be more autonomy than at the Big 4.
Boutique and SME firms:
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Titles are even less standardised. A Tax Manager often have a number of years’ experience, reflecting a flat hierarchy rather than seniority.
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Managers often cover end-to-end client engagements, including compliance, advisory, and corporate tax planning sometimes on smaller scale.
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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:
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Client portfolio: Are you working with multinationals, PE-backed businesses, or smaller clients?
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Scope of work: Compliance-heavy or a mix of advisory, structuring, and due diligence?
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Team size: Will you manage juniors or operate more independently?
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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.
