Thank you to Amicus: Search and Recruitment for Sponsoring this episode. To find your next Finance or Accounting Role, head to https://amicus.ie/ and tell them that we sent you!

In this episode, I’m joined by the brilliant Shauna Doherty: winner of the Advanced Tax Prize for Ireland in the December 2024 sitting! 🏆

Shauna joined my course late (just after sitting SBL in September!) and still managed to secure the highest mark in the country for ATX. An incredible achievement and she’s kindly come on to share exactly how she did it.

We chat all about:

• How she balanced studying for two professional papers at once
• Why she gave 90% of her time to ATX—and still had a social life!
• Her bulletproof routine and planning approach
• How working with others and asking questions made a huge difference
• The mindset shift from "just pass it" to actually enjoying tax

Shauna’s strategy is full of smart, sustainable study tips and if you’re feeling overwhelmed, this episode will calm the chaos and give you a real-world roadmap from someone who’s been there and won the big prize!

Thank you for listening to Study For Tax in your Coffee Break! If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to leave a rating and review on your Podcast platform and share it with others to let them know you enjoyed the podcast.

If you'd like to purchase the books from which the content of this podcast is made, head to https://paulabyrne.ie/tax-books/.

Thank you to Matthew Bliss for editing and production of this episode. If you'd like him to edit your podcast, send an email to business@mbpod.com or head to https://www.mbpod.com/.

Thank you to Amicus: Search and Recruitment for Sponsoring this episode. To find your next Finance or Accounting Role, head to https://amicus.ie/ and tell them that we sent you!

In this episode, I’m joined by one of my brilliant former students turned chief mock corrector, Caron Coffey. Caron sat ATX with me back in December 2022 and has been an essential part of my teaching team ever since. Not only does she have a passion for tax (yes, really!), but she’s also deeply committed to helping our students pass—and she doesn't miss a thing.

We chat about:

• Why mock exams are non-negotiable if you want to pass
• Common mistakes students make in mocks—and how to avoid them
• How good layout and clear structure can win you marks
• What exam technique really looks like under pressure
• Caron’s own ACCA journey (including sitting ATX and AAA at the same time!)
• How finding a study buddy can keep you going (shoutout to Grace!)

If you're tempted to skip a mock because “you’d rather be studying,” this one’s especially for you.

Thank you for listening to Study For Tax in your Coffee Break! If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to leave a rating and review on your Podcast platform and share it with others to let them know you enjoyed the podcast.

If you'd like to purchase the books from which the content of this podcast is made, head to https://paulabyrne.ie/tax-books/.

Thank you to Matthew Bliss for editing and production of this episode. If you'd like him to edit your podcast, send an email to business@mbpod.com or head to https://www.mbpod.com/.

Thank you to Amicus: Search and Recruitment for Sponsoring this episode. To find your next Finance or Accounting Role, head to https://amicus.ie/ and tell them that we sent you!

In this episode, I take a deep dive into one of the most deceptively challenging areas of tax exams: ethics. It might only be worth five marks, but identifying exactly which ethical principle is being breached—and why—can be trickier than it seems.

I break down the five key ethical principles that you need to know inside and out:

• Professional behaviour
• Objectivity
• Professional competence and due care
• Confidentiality
• Integrity

You’ll hear real-world scenarios that bring these abstract principles to life, like handling conflicts of interest in a small practice, navigating client relationships, or what to do when a client asks you to overlook a mistake. I also talk about the practical safeguards you need to consider, especially in small firms, and how to keep your professional integrity intact even in sticky situations.

Thank you for listening to Study For Tax in your Coffee Break! If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to leave a rating and review on your Podcast platform and share it with others to let them know you enjoyed the podcast.

If you'd like to purchase the books from which the content of this podcast is made, head to https://paulabyrne.ie/tax-books/.

Thank you to Matthew Bliss for editing and production of this episode. If you'd like him to edit your podcast, send an email to business@mbpod.com or head to https://www.mbpod.com/.