Senior Accountant / Tax Accountant

Location: Houston, TX 77024
Employment Type: Full-Time / Onsite
Base Salary: $85,000 – $100,000 annually, depending on experience
Tax Preparation Billable Rate: $250 per hour

Job Overview

We are seeking an experienced Senior Accountant / Tax Accountant on behalf of our client, an established accounting and tax practice in Houston.

This is a broad, hands-on accounting position combining senior-level client accounting responsibilities with individual and business tax preparation. The ideal candidate is a well-rounded accounting professional who can take ownership of the financial records and accounting needs of privately held businesses while also participating in the firm's tax preparation workload.

While tax experience is important, this is not a tax-only or heavy tax preparation position. The firm currently has a greater volume of ongoing accounting work than tax preparation work and is specifically seeking someone who enjoys and is capable of working across both areas.

The client may internally refer to portions of this work as "bookkeeping," but the scope extends well beyond the traditional perception of bookkeeping. Depending on the client, this individual may perform responsibilities comparable to those of a Senior Accountant, Accounting Manager, or Controller at a busy privately held company.

The successful candidate will have strong technical accounting knowledge, sound professional judgment, meaningful tax preparation experience, and the ability to independently identify and resolve accounting issues while developing trusted relationships with clients.

Key Responsibilities

Client Accounting & Controller-Level Support

• Take ownership of accounting functions for a portfolio of privately held business clients.

• Manage and review general ledgers to ensure financial records are accurate, complete, and properly classified.

• Perform and oversee month-end and year-end closing processes.

• Prepare, review, and post journal entries and adjusting entries.

• Perform and review bank, credit card, balance sheet, and other account reconciliations.

• Identify accounting discrepancies, investigate underlying issues, and make appropriate corrections.

• Prepare and review financial statements and supporting management reports.

• Analyze financial information for accuracy, completeness, and reasonableness.

• Maintain appropriate schedules and supporting documentation for balance sheet and income statement accounts.

• Manage or support accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, and other transactional accounting functions as necessary.

• Ensure client financial records are maintained accurately throughout the year and properly prepared for tax reporting.

• Assist business owners and management with accounting questions and financial reporting needs.

• Communicate directly with clients to obtain information, resolve accounting issues, and explain financial matters.

• Serve as a trusted accounting resource to privately held business owners and their management teams.

Tax Preparation & Advisory

• Prepare individual and business tax returns, including corporate and partnership returns.

• Prepare trust and other applicable tax returns based on client needs and individual experience.

• Review client accounting records and make necessary year-end adjustments prior to tax preparation.

• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local tax requirements.

• Research tax laws, regulations, and rulings when necessary.

• Identify applicable deductions, credits, and tax planning opportunities.

• Assist clients with IRS and state tax notices and related tax matters.

• Coordinate accounting and tax information to ensure consistency and accuracy.

• Utilize tax preparation software efficiently and accurately.

• Stay current on relevant changes to tax laws and regulations.

• Respond to client tax-related questions in a timely and professional manner.

Qualifications & Experience

• 5+ years of progressive accounting, client accounting, public accounting, and/or tax experience preferred.

• Strong hands-on experience managing the accounting cycle for privately held businesses.

• Demonstrated ability to take ownership of client financial records beyond traditional transactional bookkeeping.

• Strong knowledge of general ledger accounting principles and financial reporting.

• Experience with month-end and year-end close processes.

• Experience preparing and reviewing journal entries, adjusting entries, account reconciliations, and financial statements.

• Ability to independently identify, research, and resolve accounting issues.

• Meaningful experience preparing individual and business tax returns.

• Working knowledge of federal, state, and local tax requirements.

• Experience with QuickBooks and/or comparable accounting platforms.

• Experience with tax preparation software such as Lacerte, UltraTax, ProSeries, Drake, CCH Axcess, or similar.

• Ability to manage multiple client relationships, engagements, and competing deadlines.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Professional and confident communicating directly with business owners and individual clients.

• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with other accounting and tax professionals.

• Must be willing and interested in performing both ongoing client accounting and tax preparation responsibilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience in public accounting, a CPA firm, tax practice, outsourced accounting environment, or similar professional services organization.

• Experience functioning as a Senior Accountant, Accounting Manager, Controller, or similar accounting resource for a privately held business.

• Experience managing the full accounting cycle for multiple privately held business clients.

• Experience working directly with business owners and high-net-worth individuals.

• Knowledge of business entity structures and related tax considerations.

• Experience taking client financial records from ongoing monthly accounting through year-end close and tax preparation.

• Experience reviewing accounting work and identifying necessary corrections or adjustments.

• CPA, Enrolled Agent (EA), or other relevant accounting or tax credential is preferred but not required.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a well-rounded accounting professional who also has strong tax preparation capabilities, rather than a tax-only specialist or traditional bookkeeper.

This individual has the accounting knowledge and professional judgment to step into the financial records of a privately held business, understand what is happening within the accounts, identify problems, make appropriate adjustments, produce reliable financial information, and communicate confidently with ownership and management.

At the same time, the candidate should have sufficient tax experience to independently prepare individual and business tax returns and contribute meaningfully during tax season.

Successful candidates will likely be professionals who:

• Have strong full-cycle accounting experience.

• Can operate with a high degree of independence and ownership.

• Understand and analyze financial statements rather than simply producing them.

• Are comfortable resolving complex, incomplete, or disorganized accounting issues.

• Can communicate financial and accounting matters clearly to business owners.

• Have meaningful individual and business tax preparation experience.

• Enjoy a varied workload involving both accounting and tax.

• Are comfortable moving between ongoing client accounting responsibilities and tax preparation based on the firm's workload.

• Take pride in maintaining accurate financial information and providing excellent client service.

Important Position Expectation

This is not a tax-only position, nor is it a traditional bookkeeping position.

The firm already has several professionals whose responsibilities are heavily concentrated in tax preparation. The current need is for someone who brings strong, senior-level accounting capability while also being willing and able to prepare tax returns.

Although portions of the firm's ongoing client accounting services may be described as "bookkeeping," the work can involve responsibilities comparable to those performed by a Controller at a busy privately held company. This includes ownership of the general ledger, financial reporting, reconciliations, adjusting entries, closing processes, financial accuracy, and direct communication with business owners.

Candidates who are exclusively interested in tax preparation and do not want ongoing client accounting responsibilities will not be a fit. Likewise, candidates whose experience is limited primarily to transactional bookkeeping without strong general ledger, financial reporting, closing, and accounting problem-solving capabilities may not have the depth required for the role.

Why Join Our Client?

• Work directly with a diverse portfolio of privately held businesses and individual clients.

• Take ownership of meaningful accounting responsibilities rather than being limited to transactional bookkeeping.

• Utilize both accounting and tax expertise throughout the year.

• Develop long-term relationships with business owners and become a trusted accounting resource.

• Gain exposure to a wide variety of accounting, tax, compliance, and advisory matters.

• Work in an environment where broad technical accounting ability and professional judgment are valued.

• Opportunity for continued professional development and growth.