Working student tax – focus on annual financial statements (m/f/d)

Role Summary

Tax advice in medium-sized businesses is about relationship work. Clients stay for decades - not because of prices, but because they are understood. Several thousand medium-sized companies trust us - we are now developing the model into a Germany-wide consulting platform.

You are studying business administration, economics, business law or a comparable course of study - Bachelor or Master ongoing. You have already completed an internship or your first working student position in tax consulting or auditing. You are working as a working student at Vogel because you now want to take on real client work instead of working for others - and because you are looking for a concrete perspective in tax consulting when starting your career.

You will receive your own task packages and direct client contact. You are part of the line of a Manager Tax who, together with Associates, provides you with professional guidance. At least 16 hours per week, can be increased during lecture-free periods, flexible coordination with your lecture schedule. Those who are convincing will take on an associate slot in tax after their studies - then a manager or expert track along our career framework.

What you delivered after 3 months

• You work on your own task packages and have supervised the first annual financial statements with senior reviews.
• You confidently master the bird tax tech environment and use AI tools in your daily work.
• You actively accompanied initial client discussions - notes, preparation, follow-up.

What you delivered after 6 months

• You take on independent research and preparation tasks for associates and your manager - independent preparation, initial technical examination, escalation only for special topics.
• You have found your first specialist area (industry, tax area, tools) and are building up depth there.

What you delivered after 12 months

• You are an independent working student in a client role - Manager Tax is only an escalation end point for complex special issues.
• You have a specific career entry path in mind - either a direct associate slot after completing your studies or an extension of your working student role parallel to your master's degree.

Where the position is developing

Working student at Vogel is the bridge to starting a career. After completing your studies, you will take on an associate slot in tax - then a manager (disciplinary leadership) or expert track (professional depth) along our career framework. Tax advisor exams receive financial and time support.

Responsibilities

YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

Client work

1. Independent collaboration with commercial law monthly and annual financial statements for medium-sized corporations and partnerships.
2. Preparation of tax returns for corporations and partnerships.
3. Support in ongoing tax and business advice - technical clarifications, preparation of consultations, support of tax audits and objection procedures.

Professional growth

1. Participation in creative consulting (structuring, transformations, succession planning) — you will get to know the depth of consulting work on specific mandates.
2. Supervision of private tax matters for entrepreneurial families - a separate field of learning in addition to corporate tax advice.
3. Preparation for starting your career - Vogel accompanies you during your master's degree or tax advisor exam.

Tooling & Automation

1. Independent work with our tax tech environment — we are consciously beyond DATEV-plus-Excel.
2. Use of AI tools as a natural part of the work — research, drafting, analysis. Anyone who sees AI as a threat is wrong here.
3. Participation in internal digitization and automation initiatives - you bring in your own ideas from your everyday study life.

WHAT YOU WON'T FIND WITH US

1. No unskilled labor job that works for an associate. You work on real clients, with real client contact, with real responsibility.
2. No part-time job where you only work hours. We are looking for working students who really see the depth of tax consulting and want to join us after their studies.
3. No hereditary middle class without growth aspirations. We build specializations and industry depth, we don't manage.
4. No corporate corset. You work directly with managing directors and entrepreneurs, without political filters.

FAQ

1. WHAT IS BIRD — AND WHERE DO YOU WORK?

Vogel is one of Germany's leading medium-sized business consultancies - a family business since 1959, based in Aalen - and is building the leading consulting platform for medium-sized businesses. We are growing at several locations: in Aalen/East Württemberg as an established headquarters and in Munich as a new hub. In both, we look across functions — from tax advice to consulting to the strategic teams that build the platform.

1. HOW TO UNDERSTAND THE SALARY BANDS?

Deliberately wide - and identified at every point. We differentiate based on track record and market value, not on degree: scarce, highly sought-after profiles at the top end, less scarce ones at the bottom. We calibrate exclusively to the market - two people with similar experience can earn different things with us.

1. HOW MUCH — AND HOW — DOES VOGEL WORK?

It's measured by what you move, not by hours. But it's also honest: If you're looking for 9-to-5, we're not the first place to go. We are looking for people who work intensively on their own initiative because the tasks are worth it. How you distribute your time is largely up to you. What we share: We work together face-to-face - culture, sparring and the best ideas arise in daily proximity. We are not a remote company and do not have major home office policies; Individual remote days are no problem.

1. HOW DOES THE APPLICATION PROCESS?

Slim, fast, transparent — and graded according to profile. For entry-level roles (internship, work study, career entry), two interviews and a short work sample are usually sufficient; experienced roles are a little more detailed. For selected senior roles, we are looking into incorporating a joint working day in the future so that both sides get to know each other better. The following always applies: scheduled deadlines, quick decisions, substantial feedback - regardless of the outcome.

1. HOW DOES VARIABLE PAY WORK?

Linked to performance on a quarterly basis and assessed qualitatively. The scale increases with the level: up to 20% Associate, 27.5% Manager, 35% Senior Manager, 42.5% Director, 50% VP. Expected value with good performance - you meet the requirements, set your own accents, pass the keeper test - is around 50% of the maximum; the maximum bonus is not the norm. The focus is on a holistic assessment by your manager: ownership, quality, learning curve, collaboration, impact.

1. HOW DO I DEVELOP MYSELF - WHAT CAREER PATHS ARE THERE?

Two active paths: Mastery (technical depth, expert career) and Pioneer (leadership, management). You choose the direction after onboarding, usually in years 1-3. Starting a career is not a special path, but rather the early part of the same route - from working student or intern to associate, for the best ones without having to reapply.

1. TEAM, CULTURE, HOLIDAY?

A shared lunch is an open daily option - not an obligation; If you like, you can join us; anyone can eat at any time. Plus dinners, social events and offsites on a regular basis - not as a mandatory program, but because a good team also shares time outside of work. Benefits: thoughtful and substantial, not symbolic. Vacation: 28 days.

1. I KNOW SOMEONE - IS THERE A REFERRAL BONUS?

Yes — EUR 2,500 for each successfully filled position (no internships). A short context is enough: who you are thinking about, for what role, why. Doesn't have to fit perfectly, but has to be substantial.

Requirements

THIS IS WHAT YOU BRING WITH YOU

Experience & track record

• Studies in business administration, economics, business law or a comparable economics course - Bachelor or Master ongoing.
• Relevant practical experience - ideally an internship at Vogel or a previous working student position in tax consulting or auditing.
• Profiles that do not fit into the above grid, but have substantial tax experience, are expressly invited - we evaluate on the contribution, not on the label. Specifically: trained tax clerks studying part-time or law students with a focus on tax law and initial practical experience.

Skills & way of working

• You enjoy the technical depth of tax consulting and do not see it as a transition phase to another career.
• You work thoroughly and in a structured manner, even under deadline pressure - client due dates are non-negotiable.
• You communicate clearly and authoritatively - in writing and in client discussions. You are not afraid of topics that you have not yet fully mastered.
• You use AI as a natural tool — research, drafting, analysis.

Mindset & personality

• You see yourself as a full team member, not as an assistant.
• You take responsibility for your task packages, not for your attendance hours.
• You aspire to set the highest standard in everything you deliver — not because someone controls it, but because mediocrity bothers you personally.
• You are willing to get involved in independent work on clients and learn new things every day.