Beyond Borders: the career journey of Fredrick Law
Published: 2 Apr 2024
Fredrick Law, Director at Deloitte Australia in Darwin was the Co-Dux of CommLaw1 in Study Period 1, 2023. He describes his international career in accounting and tax and how he applies the knowledge gained in CommLaw1 in his daily work.
Tell us about your career in tax
I am currently a Chartered Accountant in Australia, Hong Kong and Mainland China and also a Chartered Financial Analyst in the US. Growing up and being educated where East meets West – Hong Kong – helped me become an energetic, passionate, and professional financial accountant and business advisor. Over the past 18 years, I have worked on domestic and cross-border audits and capital market projects in Australia, Hong Kong, Mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, the US and the UK. These projects encompass audits, group restructuring, tax planning, inbound and outbound mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings, and debt issuance. I really enjoy simplifying complex matters and presenting them in an insightful and engaging manner for my clients.
In addition to working at Deloitte and KPMG, I also served as an Investor Relations Director at a TMT company. I was responsible for managing corporate activities and maintaining relationships with a diverse range of private investors, including private equity, venture capital, and other entities.
Why did you study CommLaw1?
It’s a core subject in my Graduate Diploma of Applied Tax Law. I found it to be quite a valuable inclusion, as it provided knowledge on how Australia’s legal systems ensure businesses participate legally. All businesses operate within social, economic, and legal institutions. It involves cultural values, business context and a set of rules in a jurisdiction. When we talk about businesses and how we help them to succeed, we cannot avoid talking about the legal and tax system – and so it makes sense to understand commercial law in the context of tax.
What was your experience studying the subject?
As a Chartered Accountant, mastering laws and tax knowledge greatly helps me to advise the accounting and business matters of my clients in Australia. I’ve been able to apply the knowledge gained in CommLaw1 in my daily work. The program at The Tax Institute Higher Education is very practical and it incorporates a lot of real-life cases in the study materials. I also love the online learning approach, which enables me to plan my study time flexibly according to my busy work schedule.
To what do you attribute your success?
The key to succeed in a subject is to plan the study timetable well. A subject runs for three months; to maximise my chances of success, I made time for study every week and used the learning objectives to make sure I really understood the concepts. I would recommend a similar approach for anyone else considering additional study.
I personally have never been one to burn the mid-night oil just a few days before the exam, and find that if adequate time is taken throughout the duration of study, it is not necessary.
Where to now for you when it comes to continuing tax education?
I love sharing business insights with people. I’m looking forward to furthering my postgraduate studies in law, especially in international commercial and taxation aspects. Thanks to The Tax Institute, it is providing me with a solid foundation for my ongoing career.
Interested in a formal qualification in tax? Learn more here.
Read time: 2 minutes