ACA vs Tax

I'm applying for graduate trainee roles and a few are offering both the ACA trainee role and also Tax trainee.

I am interested in tax but would also like a breadth of experience in other areas. Will the ACA do this for me? Or should I apply for tax?

I assumed the ACA was a qualification in all aspects of accountancy but then why would a company offer a separate Tax trainee role?

Is the ACA role pretty generalist? ACA role isn't a description of what you'll actually be doing so to speak. In larger firms there tends to be some tax people who do the ACA and some that don't, depending on their specific department.

On the whole the ACA role will probably put you in better stead, unless you're happy to work in tax permanently in which case I'm sure the more specific tax qualifications will be fine.

I think it's a general role. It just states ACA, and the description includes some stuff about audit, tax, accounts etc.

Also, does it matter much who I do my ACA contract with?

OK, well in that case I'd personally definitely go for ACA contract unless you have a particular preference towards Tax. It'll give broader options once you qualify.

As for if it matters where you do the ACA, yes and no. On the one hand the exams are the exact same regardless and you may well use the same tuition providers, so for the qualification not so much. However where you train can have a big impact on your CV and furture prospects, depending on prestigue and the opportunities that you can get involved in.

I've applied for a wide range of firms, including quite small ones. Ultimately though, getting an ACA contract at a smaller firm is better than getting none at all, right?

I think the only thing that concerns me is salary as smaller firms start their trainees off on low salaries. I'm worried that even after qualification, it's not going to go up by much.

I've got quite a few interviews lined up with accountancy firms. The higher ranked firms are the ones where I have applied for Tax (doing the ATT followed by CTA) and the lower ranked ones (some are still in the top 50) are the ones where I've had the choice to apply for a generalist accountancy role (doing the ACA and getting experience in audit, tax, accounts etc).

So this ACA vs tax thing is still weighing heavily on my mind. Obviously I'd want to work at a higher ranked accountancy firm. But at the same time, I feel as though I may be pigeonholed into tax if I go with that.....

Have you considered Audit? Most common entry route in to top firms, offers the ACA and while it may not be your preferred work for the first three years, the options are numerous after qualification. Certainly won't risk being pigeonholed.