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Not the Route You Expected: 16 Questions with Freya
14 Oct 2026
Three years ago, Freya wasn’t sure what “tax” actually meant beyond the mysterious deduction on her payslip. Today, she’s helped clients resolve HMRC disclosures without penalties, taken on R&D and creative industry tax relief work she never saw coming, and somehow ended up with the best desk in the office. Her path here wasn’t a straight line, and she’s the first to say so.
We sat down with Freya, now three years into her role as an Associate Tax Consultant, for a bit of Q&A, some of it serious, some of it not, to find out what a few years into an unexpected career actually looks like from the inside.
First, the important questions
What’s on your desk right now that says a lot about you?
We technically have a clean-desk policy, so my options are limited. I do have a guinea pig mug, I have a mini-herd of five at home, and some noise-cancelling headphones, which are essential for getting anything done in an open-plan office.
Most-used app on your phone that has nothing to do with work?
Probably Vinted. I scroll endlessly, favourite about forty things a day and buy absolutely none of them. A depressing runner-up is Mail, but only because I’m locked in an ongoing dispute with my former energy supplier over a surprise £900 gas bill.
One word your team would use to describe you?
I asked a colleague because I was genuinely curious. They said “intelligent”, which was very kind of them, and conveniently saved me from having to think of something myself.
What did you want to be when you were 10?
It changed fairly often. At one point I wanted to be a volcanologist, until I realised I was scared of going anywhere near a volcano. I can say with some confidence that tax consultant wasn’t in the running.
How a law grad ends up in tax
Why did you choose to study law in the first place?
I was good at writing and arguing, and I was interested in picking apart the rules that underpin society. Like a lot of 18-year-olds, I didn’t have a particularly clear career plan. Law suited my interests, seemed like a well-respected degree and left me with plenty of options if I decided not to qualify after university.
Be honest, what did you think “tax” meant before you started here?
At a high level, I knew it was how the government raised money and influenced behaviour. At a personal level, it was the mysterious deduction on my payslip. What I hadn’t appreciated was the sheer scale and complexity of the UK tax system, or how all the different rules interact. I think people sometimes imagine tax advisers spending their days dreaming up complicated artificial schemes to help people avoid paying any tax, but the reality is very different, at least when it’s being done properly!
What was the moment you realised tax advisory might actually be for you?
It took me a while to feel confident that I was suited to the job, but one of the first signs was some disclosure work I did for a client during my first year. They were overwhelmed by the rules, and I helped them understand their position, put their case to HMRC and resolve the matter without any penalties. It combined the parts of the job I enjoy most: getting to grips with something technical, explaining it in a way someone can actually understand and helping them through what can be a genuinely stressful situation.
What’s a skill from your law degree that’s turned out to be more useful in tax than you expected?
Learning how to get my head around a completely new subject very quickly. My university used a tutorial system, so we’d be given a reading list and, a week later, be expected to discuss the topic with an expert, often without having had a lecture on it first. That taught me how to identify what matters, understand it quickly and explain it clearly. Tax law is far too vast to memorise, so being comfortable starting with “I don’t know yet, but I can find out” is genuinely useful.
Three years in, what’s changed most since your first week?
Three things, really. My technical knowledge has grown enormously, although that mainly makes you realise how much more there is to learn. I have much more direct contact with clients now, and I’m far more confident on calls and in meetings. Most importantly, our offices had a big refurbishment last year and I’ve managed to occupy a desk by the window. Priorities.
If a law student told you they were “supposed” to become a solicitor, what would you say?
Becoming a solicitor might feel like the obvious next step after a law degree, but it’s definitely not the only one. A law degree opens far more doors than you probably realise while you’re studying it. More broadly, I’d be wary of doing something simply because you feel you’re “supposed” to. We spend most of our adult lives working, so if you have the opportunity to explore something that suits your interests rather than something you feel obliged to pursue, I’d encourage you to take it.
What the job actually looks like
What does a normal Tuesday actually look like for you now?
There isn’t really a normal Tuesday, which is one of the things I like about the job. It could involve drafting a report or advice note, researching a technical point, speaking to clients or discussing a piece of work with colleagues. At the moment, I’m also working on improving some of our internal processes. I’ve enjoyed that more than I expected, I like spotting something inefficient and working out how to make it better.
What’s a project you’ve worked on that you didn’t expect to be doing in “tax”?
Work involving R&D and creative industry tax reliefs. It isn’t enough just to understand the tax rules: you also need to understand what the client actually does, how their projects work and what challenges they’ve been trying to solve. You end up learning about some really interesting businesses while helping them make a claim that can result in a very tangible benefit.
You’ve probably helped newer starters settle in, what do you find yourself telling them?
Two things. First, everyone feels like they know absolutely nothing at the beginning. It’s frustrating, but even after six months you’ll be amazed by how far you’ve come. Second: ask questions. All the questions. Nobody expects you to work everything out alone, and your team would much rather you asked than struggled in silence. Especially as we’ve literally all started in the same position.
A few final things, just for fun
Best piece of advice you’ve actually followed?
My dad always used to say, “Practice makes better.” I hated that saying as a kid because I wanted to be immediately perfect at everything, but he was right: you only improve by having a go, and “better” is a much healthier target than “perfect”. Starting in tax was a good example of putting that advice into action. I began knowing almost nothing, had a go at lots of things, asked for feedback, made mistakes and gradually got better. To be honest, it’s still the mindset I try to take to work every day. Thanks Dad :).
What’s something you’re weirdly good at outside of work?
A bit sad, but writing letters of complaint. See earlier: the £900 gas bill that appeared out of nowhere. Corresponding with HMRC has probably sharpened that skill, along with a strong sense of justice and a deep unwillingness to overpay for energy.
One piece of advice for a law student who isn’t sure law is really “the” path?
Be open to what else is out there. You don’t have to qualify straight away, and taking a different route doesn’t mean the door is closed forever. Realising that can be really freeing. I put a lot of pressure on myself after university to find the “perfect” job. I’ve since realised that careers don’t have to follow a straight line, and almost any experience will teach you something useful. You might find your thing somewhere you never expected (I know I did).
Three years ago, Freya thought tax was just a line on her payslip. Now she’s resolved HMRC disputes, learned the inner workings of businesses she never expected to encounter, and would tell her old self that the door to a “perfect” job was never actually closed, it just led somewhere she hadn’t looked yet.
