Klara Johansson Wins Swedish Final of the EY Young Tax Professional of the Year Competition

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Congratulations! How does the competition work, and what made you apply?
You start by applying, and the process is quite similar to a job application — I had to submit a cover letter, CV, and attend an interview. On the day of the competition, we began with a networking session and an introduction covering the rules, schedule, and other practicalities. We were then divided into groups, and each group had to solve a case to present to a jury consisting of EY Partners and practising tax law professionals.

The case was genuinely tricky and challenging, but I was really impressed by the other two members in my team. We combined our knowledge and supported each other to tackle the most difficult parts. Even though the work was done in teams, the competition itself was individual. Still, I didn’t feel any sense of rivalry — it was actually reassuring to work together and not have to face such a complex problem entirely on your own. After all the presentations, the jury deliberated and then announced the results, followed by more mingling and a dinner.

I think you simply have to let go of 
imposter syndrome — the feeling that you don’t belong somewhere or aren’t qualified enough to do something.

What made me apply was probably curiosity. I really enjoy meeting students from other universities and didn’t have any major expectations for the competition itself. Honestly, the scariest part was just submitting the application, but I managed to convince a friend to apply with me, which made it a fun experience. Otherwise, I think it’s all about pushing past that imposter syndrome — that feeling of not being good enough or that you don’t belong. If you always listen to that voice, you’ll never dare to do anything!

What is it that you enjoy about tax law specifically?
I never thought I’d enjoy tax law when I started the Law Programme — I saw the course as “the final hurdle” before the more advanced and, in my opinion back then, fun subjects. But once I took the introductory tax law course, I just thought, wow — it makes sense. The rules are clear and, while there’s room for argument, the foundations are very solid and understandable. It’s mostly systematic, and once I learned how to approach problems within that system, everything just clicked.

I also think it’s quite exciting how much the details of tax law are influenced by the political climate, even though the underlying structure seems to hold steady regardless of which party is in power.

You’ll be competing against finalists from around 40 countries. Is there anything you’re nervous about, and what are you most looking forward to?
So far, I don’t know much about the international competition — Sweden was the first country to hold its national final. What I do know is that the first round will take place online, and the top ten participants will then proceed to an in-person final. This year’s final was held in Barcelona.

At this point, I haven’t really had time to think much about the global final — I’m still processing the fact that I won the Swedish one, haha.
I imagine the nerves will definitely kick in closer to the time, especially since the final will be entirely individual. But I’m excited to see how I compare internationally and what kind of questions might come up.

Do you have any specific strategy you hope will help you win?
I’m sticking to my usual approach — be yourself, have fun, and remember that the worst that can happen is that it goes badly. I’ve already made it this far, which is more than I ever expected when I first applied.

What are your plans for the future?
I’m heading off on an exchange to Germany next week, then it’s time for my thesis (hopefully in tax law). After graduation, I’ve got a job lined up at EY, which I’m already looking forward to. I don’t yet know the start date, location or exact department, but I’m most interested in international individual taxation or transfer pricing — so I hope that’s where I’ll end up.