Big 4: Audit senior manager and manager salary levels

[to pp]

Err life experience, don't want to pay 50% tax.

Stuff like that.

Singapore is much cheaper than London as long as you don't need a car and don't have kids.

[Auditee]

I disagree that Singapore is cheaper than London. 
Property (whether you rent or buy) is more expensive.  Cars are the most expensive in the world (and i wouldn't be surprised if OP and hubby both have cars in London).  Housing and cars are the two big ticket items/

Non-Asian food (especially decent red meat) is incomparably more expensive.  Also you have to pay for your medical care (and a woman with a 6 month old baby would need a lot of GP and nurse visits)so I hope OP gets decent expat imedical insurance included in her package.

Western clothing (like for like) works out more although GST is only 7% and VAT 17.5%....finding clotres your size won't be easy unless you are unusually petite.

Of course, taxes (and taxis!) are cheaper....

[EDmummy.]

Thank you for all the information everyone.

Certainly given us a lot to think about. I think the dealbreaker might be that part-time working in Big4 seems almost unheard of. I was going to go back to work for 4 days a week in London as it's quite common for working mums to do without doing any damage to your career.

[Wow!]

You really are an arrogant tosser aren't you.

Fyi, parent worked at a chemical factory, mum a part time teacher. Went to local comprehensive.

As you are so obsessed with it, was top ten on Oxford entrance exam and managed to be Blues captain while I was there. Also won a prize coming first on my aca exams. Now head of
 My dept in asia and senior director at a major IB. If you are so f+cking bright then why not ivy league?

Nyc accountants being better than uk is a sad joke.  They are mostly shite. This is not trying to claim Americans are thick, the industry is just held in different levels of esteem on different sides of the pond and UK gets higher calibre applicants, US it gets dross.

As for your ethnicity, get the chip off your shoulder, lots of Asians (especially quants) in NY. Very much doubt you know a sodding thing about yield curves let alone anything vaguely complicated.

OP, please ignore this self obsessed tosser.

My my.... blues captain! *gasp*

I played for Chelsea and joined the Navy Seals too before setting up my own hedge fund making £100m a year. Then I joined NBA, became an All-Star before now playing professional golf.

NYC is making a point that he can say whatever he wants and nobody can validate it. He could be Singaporean, he could be Indian. He may even grow up in an orphange.

You are a prime example of that. IB directors / Global Heads posting in a forum about big 4 salaries? Both you and him are probably psychos posting from your rented room in a HDB flat.   

[London Lawyer]

Thank you for all the information everyone.

Certainly given us a lot to think about. I think the dealbreaker might be that part-time working in Big4 seems almost unheard of. I was going to go back to work for 4 days a week in London as it's quite common for working mums to do without doing any damage to your career.

EDmummy, being a Singaporean who has been based in London and is looking to move back to Singapore after 7 years, I have to warn you that employment rights are pretty unheard of in Singapore (at least the last I remembered). So the part-time working is likely to prejudice your career development in Singapore. But in exchange, you might pick up some experience (professional or otherwise) along the way, and I think it is a comfortable place to raise a child in their formative years. So have a good think about it, and all the best.

[Not an auditor but]

I have two colleagues who used to be working in Deloitte. Both left because the company decided to cut the salary (instead of pay freeze) due to the economy situation. I understand that its an "across the board" cut, and not people specific.

Auditors work based on projects and their hours are insane as well, working till 3-4am but I guess that's standard in audit line? They get days-in-lieu when they work long hours, so that might be a plus point to you? But, if you are coming with a kid, you might want to seriously reconsider. During financial year-end, they were often not allowed to take leave during Christmas & New Year, as well as limited leave between Oct to Feb period. The work mentality in Singapore is extremely different from London, especially auditors. They work really hard and really long hours.

If you are looking for part-time accounting job (not with the Big4 because I suspect this option is not really available), you might want to know that the remuneration won't be particularly attractive. There are a lot of local graduates who can do accounting for a cheaper price. And in Singapore, very few work environment accept the concept of a part-time work. They rather hire a temp, who are cheaper.

[NYC]

hahaha, blues captain.....

ok,ok. i admit it. I am Bill Gates having a laugh in my space time on top of MacroHard Tower.

hahahah.

[To be honest...]

.. as a qualified CA who came here to work in audit at one of the Big 4 - DON'T DO IT!

There are many other places you could go in the world if you want to experience another culture, etc. There's no reason to come here - professionally you're taking a step back becuase they will probably "demote" you one grade (claiming it's because they are not sure of your grade back home), getting a promotion or pay rise takes way longer than it would back home, work hours are insane, the working culture is exceptionally challenging if you are not used to a Chinese/Singaporean/Asian environment where it's all about not challenging authority and face time with the bosses.

By all means, come here for a holiday, but I would really, strongly recommend not coming ehre to work in audit.

Think about somewhere like Canada or Australia maybe....

[sad wow]

Nyc is a tosser but appears successful. You on the other hand appear to be a failure with an envy issue.

[Auditee]

BTW, I know of a Singaporean lady who is a tax manager at the local office of one of the big 4 and only comes to office 2 days a week. 

I think tax is more family-friendly than audit.

As for pay cuts at Deloittes, our auditors (not Deloittes)also gave pay cuts last year but, I believe, only at manager and above level and their pay was restored , at least partially, when it turned out that the company was not as badly hit as they had feared.

[NYC]

Nyc is a tosser but appears successful. You on the other hand appear to be a failure with an envy issue.

there, there.... no point sucking up to me now.... i've already got minions in the office for that!