The Branch Network: why you should attend!

Branch facts and stats!

• In the last five years, 7,751 branch attendees (online and in person) were under 30 years of age.
• Those aged 30 to 39 are the most likely to attend an in-person branch event. They attended 1,900 times in the last five years, compared to 1,600 in the 40 to 49 age range.
• More members aged over 40 attend virtual events than members aged under 40!

We hope you have seen the new look Branch Network email this year (and if not, see below for how to register)! Here are the top five reasons why you should attend a branch event.

1. Connect! Make connections in tax – meet people, find out about their work, tell them a bit about your career so far, and speak to another human person IRL! (‘in real life’, not a new tax acronym you’ve never heard of...)
2. Comply! Keep up to date with your tax knowledge. The Branch Network offer 50% of their content to members and students for free, only ever charging to cover costs on a break-even basis. You will rarely find comparable content of the quality we offer at anywhere near an affordable price! We know that training budgets are being squeezed – that’s why we want you to come along to your branch and let us know what technical topics are of interest to you!
3. Career! Not sure what next for you in tax? Get along to a professional skills event hosted by your branch at a local firm. Throughout 2025, we are running the course ‘Communicating with impact: making lasting connections with colleagues and clients’. This sort of professional skill is essential as you consider where and how to get to your next role.
4. Community! You are not alone! 
   Tax – particularly if you are working ‘in-house’, as a sole practitioner or in a small practice – can feel lonely sometimes. We are holding eight events aimed at small and sole practice in 2025, with a mixture of online and in-person. And I hope our in-house and Commerce and Industry members were able to attend our first webinar in the new Commerce and Industry Branch programme with Glyn Fullelove last month.
5. Contact! Please do write to us at [email protected] to find out if we are going to be holding an event near you in 2025. If you can’t see activity in your area, do get in touch. We believe the Branch Network is a key benefit and we want to you to feel that it is there for you!

Speaking opportunities for the Branch Network

Do you have a burning desire to tell the tax world about your specialist subject? Please get in touch with us to learn more about our ‘new speaker initiative’. There are opportunities both in-person and online. We can put you in touch with an established circuit speaker for advice, who will coach you through a presentation and a technical rehearsal, and give you feedback on the key skills you will need to build speaking as part of your portfolio career in tax! Email us at [email protected] and use SPEAKER in the subject line.

If you are not receiving our twice weekly emails, contact us at [email protected]. You may need to update your profile if you have you moved jobs or home. We ask that you select no more than three branches, and do check your profile in the portal to make sure it is correct.