MaFAT Student Club events last semester
EY:
On 5 March 2025, the first event of the semester took place in cooperation with EY at the Mannheim office.
The focus was on an interactive lecture on the topic of ‘Death and Tax: Gifts, Inheritance and Probate,’ which offered practical insights into the tax treatment of inheritances and gifts. Participants were able to use clear examples to explore complex issues relating to inheritance tax and deepen their understanding of taxation.
Following the presentation, the event continued with a get-together at the restaurant Die Küche. The great atmosphere provided an opportunity for personal exchanges with the experts from EY and for further discussion of individual topics.
The event combined in-depth expert input with space for discussion and personal contact.
KPMG:
On 11 March 2025, the MaFAT Student Club visited KPMG Germany's Mannheim office.
As part of a workshop on the topic of ‘M&A Tax,’ participants first received an overview of international transaction tax practice with a special focus on cross-border M&A processes. This was followed by a practical case study based on a tax fact book, in which the knowledge previously imparted was applied together with experienced tax advisors.
The evening ended with a get-together at the Hans im Glück restaurant in Mannheim. The relaxed atmosphere provided an opportunity for personal exchanges with the experts from the Frankfurt KPMG team who were present.
The event provided a wide range of insights into the field of M&A tax and offered space for professional and personal discussions.
Dr. Eberhard Steuerberatung:
On 12 March 2025, the MaFAT Student Club visited Dr. Eberhard Steuerberatung in Speyer.
The firm, which specialises in large medium-sized companies, family foundations and high net worth individuals, hosted a workshop on the topic of ‘Corporate Restructuring and Succession Planning.’ The focus was on working through practical case studies, which allowed participants to directly apply and deepen the knowledge they had gained.
During the breaks, participants had the opportunity to engage in personal exchanges in a relaxed atmosphere over coffee, cake and snacks. The discussions provided interesting insights into everyday professional life and current developments in tax structuring consulting.
The workshop combined technical depth with valuable contacts and an insight into a specialised consulting environment.
PwC:
On 19 March 2025, the MaFAT Student Club and PwC Germany held a joint workshop at the University of Mannheim.
Entitled ‘Tax and AI: Prompting Party with PwC DE,’ the event focused on the impact of artificial intelligence on tax consulting. After a thematic introduction by the PwC team, participants had the opportunity to develop their own prompts and learn about the practical use of AI-based tools in the interactive workshop section.
The exchange with the experts present provided in-depth insights into current developments and challenges in the field of tax technology. Following the workshop, a relaxed get-together with dinner in the Dachgarten Mannheim provided an opportunity for personal exchange and informal networking.
The event was a successful combination of forward-looking expert input and interactive interaction.
PwC x FRAPORT SKYLINERS:
On 9 April 2025, the MaFAT Student Club attended the FRAPORT SKYLINERS home game at the Fraport Arena in Frankfurt at the invitation of PwC.
The participants were welcomed to the arena together with a representative of the basketball team. Before the game, everyone gathered in the business lounge, where an exchange about various fields of activity at PwC took place over appealing catering. In short specialist presentations, we gained exciting insights into areas such as international taxation, deals, and commercial and criminal tax law.
The dialogue continued during the half-time break, with various professional perspectives and development opportunities within PwC being highlighted. After a confident victory for the FRAPORT SKYLINERS and a group photo with the team captain, the evening came to a close in a relaxed atmosphere.
The event combined sporting excitement with substantive exchange in a special setting.
KPMG (Audit):
On 10 April 2025, KPMG provided us with valuable insights into the field of auditing. At KPMG Audit's Mannheim office, ESG experts introduced us to the increasing importance of sustainability issues in auditing practice. Armed with our newly acquired knowledge from the practical report on the influence of AI and the significance of ESG goals in auditing, we were able to solve a case study on text- and data-based auditing.
During a coffee break, we had our first opportunity to talk to the experts from KPMG. This was followed by an interactive presentation on innovative AI tools from KPMG. The focus was on the changes and challenges for auditing that accompany these technological advances. We concluded the event in a relaxed atmosphere in a larger group, where additional experts joined us for professional and personal exchanges.
Porsche Automobil Holding SE:
On 29 April 2025, we had the special opportunity to visit Porsche Automobil Holding SE. The focus of this event in Stuttgart was on financing transactions and the process from acquisition to successful refinancing. After a warm welcome with delicious catering provided by the employees of Porsche Automobil Holding SE, representatives of the holding company introduced themselves and provided insights into their business activities.
This was followed by business cases presented by three experts from the fields of corporate finance, accounting and taxation. After the presentation of the cases, we were divided into three groups and worked separately with the respective experts on the cases. This gave us in-depth insights into all phases of a financing transaction and its practical implementation at Porsche Automobil Holding SE.
Chief Financial Officer Dr Johannes Lagwein rounded off the formal part of the event with an open Q&A session, which provided an opportunity to learn more about the financial strategy of Porsche Automobil Holding SE and discuss further topics.
A real highlight of the day was the joint visit to the Porsche Museum. We ended the evening in a relaxed atmosphere at a restaurant in downtown Stuttgart. Here, too, there was ample opportunity for professional exchange with employees from various departments within Porsche Automobil Holding SE.
FGS x adidas:
On 9 May 2025, we were warmly invited by Flick Gocke Schaumburg to the Frankfurt Messeturm. Together with adidas, we were able to gain different perspectives on tax practice with a special focus on corporate tax. The collaboration between adidas and FGS provided us with a direct comparison between adidas' in-house tax department and the work of a large law firm such as FGS. Through an open exchange about their practical experiences, we learned about the challenges and working methods that characterise these areas and how they complement each other.
A highlight of these discussions was a current case study prepared by adidas on influencer cooperation, which we were able to discuss with the experts from FGS and adidas in a practical setting. The concluding get-together with catering provided an opportunity for networking, questions and discussion about career opportunities.
Deloitte:
On 15 May 2025, we had the opportunity to participate in the ‘Excel Excellence’ workshop. At Deloitte's Mannheim office, experienced experts welcomed us warmly and provided us with the necessary skills for a career in tax and accounting – whether for an internship, a working study programme or a job after graduation.
Since we all knew that Excel is essential for our professional future, we got straight down to solving various Excel cases. The different levels of difficulty not only revealed the most important shortcuts, but also our actual gaps, which we were able to close together with the experienced experts during this workshop.
After successfully completing this Excel course, we were able to relax at the get-together in Deloitte's office and discuss further topics related to a successful career with the right skills.