Specialist tax training, built on real-world experience
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Our Story
ExtraTax Training was founded by Catriona Loughran out of a clear conviction: that tax professionals deserve training built on real experience, not just textbook knowledge.
Catriona traces her interest in tax training to EY's graduate programme, where she benefited from three years of structured, practical learning using lectures, case studies, team exercises and role play to develop core tax skills. That experience shaped her belief in what good training looks like — and revealed how few tax teams have access to anything comparable.
After 20 years in corporate and international tax, across senior roles in global accounting firms, multinational groups and HMRC's Large Business team, Catriona founded ExtraTax Training to close that gap. At HMRC she examined the tax affairs of the UK's largest groups, mentored colleagues in developing their expertise, and had the opportunity to represent HMRC at the OECD, delivering a capability-building programme to 14 tax authorities across Asia and Africa. That breadth of perspective, practice, industry and tax authority, is at the heart of everything ExtraTax Training delivers.
As the first person in Ireland to gain the CIOT's Advanced Diploma in International Taxation (ADIT) in 2008, Catriona also believes passionately in the qualification and in supporting tax professionals to achieve it.
Since founding ExtraTax Training in 2019, the business has grown from ADIT course provision into a full-service specialist training partner for some of the UK and Ireland's most respected accountancy firms.
Catriona traces her interest in tax training to EY's graduate programme, where she benefited from three years of structured, practical learning using lectures, case studies, team exercises and role play to develop core tax skills. That experience shaped her belief in what good training looks like — and revealed how few tax teams have access to anything comparable.
After 20 years in corporate and international tax, across senior roles in global accounting firms, multinational groups and HMRC's Large Business team, Catriona founded ExtraTax Training to close that gap. At HMRC she examined the tax affairs of the UK's largest groups, mentored colleagues in developing their expertise, and had the opportunity to represent HMRC at the OECD, delivering a capability-building programme to 14 tax authorities across Asia and Africa. That breadth of perspective, practice, industry and tax authority, is at the heart of everything ExtraTax Training delivers.
As the first person in Ireland to gain the CIOT's Advanced Diploma in International Taxation (ADIT) in 2008, Catriona also believes passionately in the qualification and in supporting tax professionals to achieve it.
Since founding ExtraTax Training in 2019, the business has grown from ADIT course provision into a full-service specialist training partner for some of the UK and Ireland's most respected accountancy firms.
What sets up apart
Technical depth, training expertise and genuine investment in your team
Tax training is only as good as the people delivering it. The ExtraTax Training team brings together qualifications and experience that few course providers can match: senior careers spanning Big 4 practice, HMRC, multinationals, and specialist tax training organisations — combined with formal expertise in learning design and development.
We work consultatively, taking time to understand the needs of each firm, team and individual before we design a single session. Our programmes are practical by design, drawing on the kind of real-world scenarios that tax professionals actually encounter. And we measure success not just by what is taught, but by how well it is understood, applied and retained.
We work consultatively, taking time to understand the needs of each firm, team and individual before we design a single session. Our programmes are practical by design, drawing on the kind of real-world scenarios that tax professionals actually encounter. And we measure success not just by what is taught, but by how well it is understood, applied and retained.
Our reach
Tax professionals from firms including all of the Big 4, Grant Thornton, RSM, BDO, Baker Tilly and Forvis Mazars have studied with ExtraTax Training — through ADIT courses, bespoke in-firm programmes, or both. Our ADIT students come from more than 40 countries. Our bespoke clients include KPMG, Grant Thornton and AAB, as well as professional bodies including Chartered Accountants Ireland.
“The ExtraTax Training team delivered a number of excellent international tax training sessions, worked around our business needs and generously shared a huge amount of information. The most impressive part of the training for me though was the mix of theory and first-hand experience — Catriona Loughran and her team were able to draw on their vast experience, covering Practice, Industry and Tax Authority points of view.
I was also impressed with their willingness to really invest in my team's all-round development and not just lecture at them. I couldn't recommend the services of ExtraTax Training highly enough.”
I was also impressed with their willingness to really invest in my team's all-round development and not just lecture at them. I couldn't recommend the services of ExtraTax Training highly enough.”
JONATHAN MEGAW, INTERNATIONAL TAX DIRECTOR, GRANT THORNTON
Meet the team
Catriona Loughran FCA CTA ADIT CTC
Catriona founded ExtraTax Training with a simple aim: to raise the standard of tax training available to professionals at every stage of their career.
She holds the FCA, CTA (UK), CTC (Ireland) and ADIT qualifications and has over 25 years' experience in corporate and international tax, gained across senior roles in global accounting firms, multinational groups and HMRC. As the first person in Ireland to achieve ADIT in 2008, she brings a deep personal commitment to the qualification and to the professionals studying it.
Catriona leads the design of ExtraTax's training programmes and teaches across its ADIT and bespoke corporate and international tax offering. Her ability to draw on practice, industry and tax authority experience makes her training distinctive — technically rigorous, commercially grounded, and genuinely engaging.
She holds the FCA, CTA (UK), CTC (Ireland) and ADIT qualifications and has over 25 years' experience in corporate and international tax, gained across senior roles in global accounting firms, multinational groups and HMRC. As the first person in Ireland to achieve ADIT in 2008, she brings a deep personal commitment to the qualification and to the professionals studying it.
Catriona leads the design of ExtraTax's training programmes and teaches across its ADIT and bespoke corporate and international tax offering. Her ability to draw on practice, industry and tax authority experience makes her training distinctive — technically rigorous, commercially grounded, and genuinely engaging.
Linda Mercel FCA CTA
Linda brings a rare combination of deep tax technical knowledge and expertise in learning design and development. This pairing directly shapes the quality and effectiveness of everything ExtraTax Training delivers.
ACA and CTA qualified, Linda began her career at PwC before moving through corporate tax roles at Jones Lang LaSalle and BP. She then spent over a decade designing and delivering tax training at some of the profession's most respected organisations, including Grant Thornton, Thomson Reuters, RSM, BPP and Tolley. At RSM, she led a team of 17 and held responsibility for technical learning strategy across a firm of 5,500 people, from school leavers to Senior Partners.
Linda is a Fellow of the Learning and Performance Institute and was a member of the CIOT's CTA Qualification Review working party. This reflects her professional standing in the L&D field and her ongoing commitment to raising standards in tax education.
At ExtraTax Training, Linda leads on programme design, learning methodology, and ensuring that every training intervention is built around how people actually learn — not just what needs to be taught.
ACA and CTA qualified, Linda began her career at PwC before moving through corporate tax roles at Jones Lang LaSalle and BP. She then spent over a decade designing and delivering tax training at some of the profession's most respected organisations, including Grant Thornton, Thomson Reuters, RSM, BPP and Tolley. At RSM, she led a team of 17 and held responsibility for technical learning strategy across a firm of 5,500 people, from school leavers to Senior Partners.
Linda is a Fellow of the Learning and Performance Institute and was a member of the CIOT's CTA Qualification Review working party. This reflects her professional standing in the L&D field and her ongoing commitment to raising standards in tax education.
At ExtraTax Training, Linda leads on programme design, learning methodology, and ensuring that every training intervention is built around how people actually learn — not just what needs to be taught.
Alyson Sutcliffe CA CTA
Alyson is a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Adviser with over 28 years' experience in UK corporation tax and international tax, built primarily in professional practice working with clients across a wide range of industries, many operating internationally.
Her approach to training is practical and collaborative. She is interested in helping people find answers to complex tax problems for themselves, not simply telling them the solution. Alyson has been involved in developing ExtraTax Training's ADIT UK Tax materials and teaching its corporate content, including international financing and Hybrid Mismatch rules. She has also designed and delivered a bespoke training programme for a corporate tax team in a large accountancy firm, covering Corporate Interest Restriction, loss optimisation, tax challenges for private equity-backed groups, and loan relationships.
Her commitment to training is rooted in a broader belief: that high standards of tax advice depend on investing in the people who deliver it.
Her approach to training is practical and collaborative. She is interested in helping people find answers to complex tax problems for themselves, not simply telling them the solution. Alyson has been involved in developing ExtraTax Training's ADIT UK Tax materials and teaching its corporate content, including international financing and Hybrid Mismatch rules. She has also designed and delivered a bespoke training programme for a corporate tax team in a large accountancy firm, covering Corporate Interest Restriction, loss optimisation, tax challenges for private equity-backed groups, and loan relationships.
Her commitment to training is rooted in a broader belief: that high standards of tax advice depend on investing in the people who deliver it.
Naina Shah
Naina brings extensive experience in business development and client management within the tax publishing and training sector. Having spent many years at Tolley, one of the profession's leading tax information providers, she has built strong relationships across the global tax community and understands the pressures and priorities of tax teams at every level.
At ExtraTax Training, Naina works with firms to understand their training needs and identify how we can best support their teams. She combines her deep sector knowledge with a genuinely consultative approach.
At ExtraTax Training, Naina works with firms to understand their training needs and identify how we can best support their teams. She combines her deep sector knowledge with a genuinely consultative approach.
Kristen Gillanders
Kristen is an experienced sales and marketing professional who joined ExtraTax Training in 2021. She has since become a familiar and trusted point of contact for ADIT students and corporate clients alike. She manages the day-to-day client and student experience with care and attention. Kristen has developed a good understanding of what it takes to succeed in ADIT, guiding our students every step of the way.
Kristen gets to know the people we work with, supporting them through their studies, and making sure every interaction with the business reflects the values the team holds. Her dedication to the people we serve is one of the things clients and students consistently notice.
Kristen gets to know the people we work with, supporting them through their studies, and making sure every interaction with the business reflects the values the team holds. Her dedication to the people we serve is one of the things clients and students consistently notice.
Associate trainers
ExtraTax Training works with a carefully selected team of specialist associate trainers, bringing additional expertise in areas including Irish tax, US tax, VAT, private client, employment taxes and transfer pricing. This allows us to expand the depth and breadth of our offering while maintaining the high standards our clients expect.
If you are an experienced tax professional who is interested in an associate trainer opportunities, please get in touch with our team.
Online courses for ADIT students
Alongside its B2B work, ExtraTax Training is an established ADIT course provider, offering online tuition across multiple ADIT modules. Our students come from over 40 countries, and have included tax professionals from all of the Top 10 firms globally, as well as multinationals and tax authorities.
Our students achieved 100% pass rates in five of seven modules across the 2025 ADIT sittings.
Our students achieved 100% pass rates in five of seven modules across the 2025 ADIT sittings.