Internship Spotlight: Benjamin Deitch, Deloitte UK

Benjamin Deitch is an Accounting and Finance major who recently graduated. This summer he interned with Deloitte UK as a US Business Tax Intern in London, England.

What was the process for getting this internship, job, or summer experience?

I initially reached out to an Alumnus from the University of Arizona who is currently a partner within the US Business Tax group in London. An executive assistant subsequently reached out to schedule an interview which occurred shortly after. I was notified within a few weeks of an intent to issue an offer, but the formal offer did not come until much later because of delays arising from COVID-19.

What was a typical day like?

A typical day entailed filling out workpapers with client TB's and GL's to determine the tax treatment of the clients operations. Then, the workpapers were transformed into US tax forms. This made up only a small portion of the internship, but the other tasks were far more fickle and were not performed on a typical day.

What was your favorite part of the experience?

My favorite part of the experience was having the ability to connect face to face with many members of the group. I interned while the office in London was reopening so I was able to meet a lot of people and work with them in-person.

What did you find most challenging?

Deloitte UK is very flexible with their work from home policy and they are not requiring anybody to come into the office. Many of the senior members opted to work from home so I found it most challenging to connect with those particular members of the group, specifically on a personal level.

What did you learn?

I learned a lot of tax technical knowledge throughout my internship. As an intern I was not client facing and worked primarily on tax compliance. This required a solid understanding of tax concepts and so I learned many of them rapidly. The group is unique in that it deals with clients located outside of the US, so the tax work was highly atypical.

What advice do you have for other students looking for a similar experience, or advice for future students to be successful?

My advice would be to reach out and connect to members of the team and prove your strong interpersonal skills. Deloitte UK differs from the US firm in that you are client facing far earlier in the UK. This makes strong communication skills essential to success. The group is looking for hard working and intelligent individuals who have fantastic interpersonal skills. So, proving this to a team member early on will certainly pay dividends.

How did Eller prepare you for this experience?

Eller prepared me for this experience by arming me with a great understanding of tax concepts and also an ability to communicate in a business setting. Both of the skills set me apart and provided utility throughout my internship.

Anything else you would like to share about your summer experience?

Please feel free to reach out to me and ask questions about my summer internship experience. If you are interested in the US Business Tax Group in London, reach out to Nancy Meech and she will give you my contact information.