Andrea Kinsman, Tax Auditor

An important job

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"I think, as an auditor, our job is important because we're able to enforce compliance with the Income Tax Act.

"I appreciate that I'm able to apply the skills that I learned in school on a daily basis. I find that my education was very relevant for the position that I'm working in now."

Images from my workplace

Winnipeg Tax Services

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"I work for the Canada Revenue Agency. It's an agency of the Federal Government, so of course it's located right across the country.

"I work for the Winnipeg Tax Services office right downtown. We're spread out in a couple of different buildings, just for lack of space, and I work at 269 Main Street. We also have people working at 325 Broadway and 360 Main Street."

Ensuring compliance

My job deals with income tax compliance.

In Canada we have a self-assessing tax system, which means that residents are responsible for filing their own returns. Tax auditors are responsible for verifying that individuals and corporations have filed their income tax returns properly.

Interacting with the public

I have to have excellent oral and written communication skills to do this job because I interact with the public every day.

I also need good people skills as I sometimes deal with difficult and emotional situations. I often assess additional taxes due to incorrect initial filing and taxpayers may become upset. It is part of my job to inform the taxpayer of the assessment and to listen to any representations that they may have.

Individual and teamwork

In auditing, we're organized into teams and have a team leader but we do our own work as individuals. We don't audit in teams. Every file is your own. Your team leader functions as a resource who can provide support if you need assistance.

Great benefits

The Canada Revenue Agency has great benefits and flexibility with scheduling of hours of work.

One unique benefit is Leave with Income Averaging (LIA). With LIA, you may take an extended unpaid leave from the office while having your paycheques averaged out over the year. This means you are never without a paycheque.

As soon as you start working with the CRA, you get 15 days of annual paid vacation leave and annual paid sick leave, and pension, medical, dental, hospital, and life insurance plans.

A military family

I had a happy childhood. I grew up in a military family so we moved around all over the map. This probably seems a little unusual to some, but for me it was normal. I just assumed this was normal for everybody. The only challenge was that we didn't have all our family nearby. It was just me, my mom, my dad, and my sister.

Love Manitoba life

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"I think the cost of living in Manitoba is a very redeeming quality. I think it brings people here and it keeps people here.

"I just enjoy the long days in the summer, waking up to the sun and falling asleep to the sun. I love the long summer days."

An active lifestyle

My job involves a lot of sitting all day so I try and do a lot of physical activity in my spare time. My husband and I go to the gym to go running and swimming. I try to do some form of physical activity every night.

We are also big fans of dogs. We enjoy walking the dog and going to dog parks and things like that.

Visiting family

My husband and I reward ourselves with travel about three or four times a year. We have family from coast to coast and we enjoy going to visit them.

We usually have a winter getaway and then go to my husband's family cottage in the summer. We really enjoy spending our summer weekends out there.

Work/life balance

As an employer, the Canada Revenue Agency is really sensitive to work/life balance issues. Unlike many other employers, they're very flexible about when you take your vacation and holiday time and providing a variety of work scheduling options.

With my position, the workload is my own. It's very flexible in that way, so that makes it easy for me to plan my work and my life.

Lots of options

We have a lot of options for arranging our work schedule. We have a flex schedule which means it's up to me to decide what hours I need but once I have decided, I am expected to work those hours.

Compressed workweek

I work a compressed workweek, which is a choice I have made. This option is available to most Canada Revenue Agency employees.

Working a compressed workweek means I work a shorter week but longer daily hours. My schedule is 7:30 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Thursday and I have three out of four Fridays off.

How I begin my day

A typical workday for me starts at 7:30 am. When I arrive at work, I generally try to take care of any administrative items such as completing my time sheet online, checking any emails and then doing a progress report at my desk. I refer to the report in the morning and see what files need to be addressed that day.

After that, I check my appointments to see what I have booked for phone appointments or meetings.

Scheduling audits

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"The bulk of the day is just handling and dealing with file work and working on the different audit files that I have on my desk. They can be at any number of different stages, starting with initial contacts, calling a tax payer, letting them know that their file has come up for review, setting up an appointment, trying to work through, explaining to them what would be required of them to provide, the time requirements that I‘ll need from them."

Travel required

The area our tax office covers includes Churchill and Thompson and many other places in the north.

Our audit teams are organized so that different groups travel to different places. I am in a group where we have Thompson and North, so we usually do most of our travelling to those places in the summer and fall when it is easier to get there.

Beyond the stigma

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"I think it's fair to say that there is a sort of a negative stigma when people hear that the tax auditor is calling you. And I think something that would be important to know is that we are just looking for compliance so things could also be adjusted in your favour.

"We're just looking to make sure that everything is being done properly. So there is an element of client service involved with that. You know we're also here to help and provide information, when the information is needed."

Providing a service

One of the things I find very rewarding about my job is that I am providing people with the tools and the resources they need to properly maintain their books and records. That's really fulfilling to me and I find people are appreciative. We're offering an important and necessary service.

Routines and activities

My day-to-day file work involves some routine. There are similar activities and tasks although we're often dealing with different tax issues on different files. Those differences provide variety within the job.

Other tasks and activities that fall outside of the regular audit work include training, coaching and mentoring, and committee work. Working for the government provides a lot of opportunities for ongoing professional learning.

Some challenges

Auditing work can be somewhat stressful, but with proper planning and organizing, the pressures are manageable. I've got to manage all the files and chart dates as they flow in. I have to stay on top of timelines, keep in touch with taxpayers, and follow up on requested information.

My other challenge is dealing with people who may be upset about an audit. I have to explain the audit process and the proposal adjustments I've made. This happens because the Income Tax Act is not black and white and there are some areas that are left for interpretation.

Critical thinking skills

Analytical thinking is a very important skill for this job.

All files should be completed in a certain amount of budgeted hours, so I have to be able to narrow my focus and identify the risk areas.

In addition to analysis, strong researching skills are required to assess income tax legislation compliance.

A firm direction

I took a four-year undergraduate degree, majoring in Economics at the University of Manitoba. I had secured this degree but didn't have any real firm direction. That's when I started to look at my different career options.

The CGA program was something that I really wanted to get into so I started the program immediately. At that time, it was a six-year program.

Note: The CGA program can range from 2-7 years of part-time studies. For more information, see Certified General Accountants Association of Canada - Manitoba in USEFUL LINKS.

My journey to accounting

I got my very first job working at a pet store when I was 15. During university I took jobs waitressing and bartending.

My first real accounting-related position was working as an account reconciliation clerk for West Fair Foods. Prior to my work with the Canada Revenue Agency, I was a junior accountant with a public accounting firm. That provided me with a lot of hands-on knowledge of accounting and maintaining books and records.

Career advice

To work as an auditor, you should like working with numbers. Math courses can always help. Talk to your guidance counsellor about the specific math credits you need.

Find out what universities offer accounting programs.

Also, look for work in accounting positions. While working through the CGA program you are strongly encouraged to gain work experience in accounting related positions. There are positions in auditing that require only fourth level CGA or equivalent, so even if you do not have a CGA designation, you could still apply for these.

Youth in public service

A new generation of public servants is coming into the workforce. I have participated in a youth networking group called MNGOPS (Manitoba New Generation of Public Servants), now known as the Manitoba Youth Network (MYN).

MYN consists of public servants under the age of 35 from all different departments. We come together to share ideas about the future of the public service, for training and professional development and to interact with employees from other departments.

Be proactive

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"I would advise someone thinking about getting into any occupation to be really proactive. Do the legwork and really get out and tap into whatever resources are available. Determine earlier on if it's something that you would really be interested in, and what do you need to do to pursue that."

"I think if you have a game plan from earlier on, it's easier to stay focused and stay on track."

Increasing demand

It is my understanding that there is increasing demand for accountants in Manitoba. There is a large market for accountants as they are hired in all industries.

With respect to my specific occupation as an auditor, I think that as long as we have a self-assessing tax system there'll always be a need for auditors.

Keep moving forward

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"I think if I continue to move forward, I'll be happy. The goal in my life to obtain the CGA designation and work forward from that, I feel like I've accomplished that.

"If I just continue learning and developing myself, then I'll be happy, wherever that takes me."

Hard work pays off

My advice for a student who has chosen the path of the CGA Program is to persevere. It can be a long road, but you should remember that the hard work will pay off later.

I would also say it's important to involve yourself with study groups along the way, because those types of networks of students can make things a little bit more interesting and fun.

Many travel plans

My husband and I love to travel. We are planning on going out to Nova Scotia soon.

We would also really love to get to Australia. We have some good friends who live there, so that would be a wonderful trip. A trip of a lifetime, I think.

Job Market Info

The official title for Andrea Kinsman's occupation is "Tax Auditor" and its NOC* code is 1111.

Manitoba Job Futures

Employment Prospects - Labour Market Information

*Each occupation has an official name and unique number called the 'National Occupation Classification' code or 'NOC'.

Education

Useful High School subjects*

Math
Accounting
Computer-related courses
English

*Source: JobFutures.ca

For those out of school, Adult Learning Centres can help you get or upgrade your high school diploma, including adding subjects that are required for work or further education. All Manitobans are normally entitled to four free courses.

Below are links to various programs and courses that will help you on the path to a career as a Tax Auditor:

Colleges & Universities

CGA Certification

University of Manitoba

Asper School of Business
Department of Economics

University of Winnipeg

Department of Economics

Red River College

Business Administration
Computer Accounting Technician

Collège universitaire de Saint Bonfiface

Faculté des arts et d'administration des affaires

Brandon University

Business Administration
Department of Economics

Assiniboine Community College - Brandon

Business Administration Advanced Diploma - Accounting and Finance

University College of the North - The Pas/Thompson

All programs - PDF
Business Administration - page 27
Management - page 86

Skills

The most important Skills for Tax Auditor and other related occupations are:

- Presentation skills
- Financial computer programs
- International trade finance
- Legal aspects of international trade

Note: Andrea emphasizes that the skills of analytical thinking, decisiveness, planning and organizing are important for her work.

There is not yet an Essential Skills* profile for this occupation.

*For more information on Essential Skills and their importance, go to: Essential Skills.

Professional Resources

Certified General Accountants Association of Canada - Manitoba
Together the national and provincial Certified General Accountants Associations represent approximately 64,000 CGAs and students in Canada.

Institute of Chartered Accountants of Manitoba
ICAM is the largest professional accounting body in Manitoba and provides leadership to over 2,700 CAs and 240 CA students.

CareerTrek
A not-for-profit organization that provides innovative educational programming for young people with perceived barriers to entering post-secondary education

Related Careers

Bookkeepers (NOC 1231)

Financial Managers (NOC 0111)

Program or other non-financial auditors (in NOC 416 Policy and Program Officers, Researchers and Consultants)