State and Local Tax - Income and Franchise Senior Associate

POSITION: State and Local Tax - Income and Franchise Senior Associate LOCATION: Los Angeles, CA WORK TYPE: Onsite SALARY: $101,200 - $129,030/yr TYPE: Permanent CATEGORY: Accounting / Finance

JOB SUMMARY:

As a State and Local Tax - Income and Franchise Senior Associate, you will deliver a full range of tax planning, consulting, and compliance services for multiple clients with the resources, environment, and support to help you excel. You will collaborate with the Income/Franchise Tax team and work closely with staff on various tax matters across all phases of project and engagement management.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Run client engagements from start to finish, including planning, executing, directing, and completing tax projects while managing to budget
• Supervise, train, and mentor associates and interns on tax projects; assess staff performance for engagement reviews and perform in-charge role as needed
• Deliver a full range of State & Local Tax services including tax return preparation and review, tax research, preparation of technical memorandums, and drafting client correspondence
• Manage assignments including reverse sales tax reviews, audit defense, and research of sales tax issues
• Review tax returns prepared by staff and make recommendations regarding accuracy and tax savings opportunities; gain increasing responsibility in the review process
• Conduct multi-disciplinary, multi-state reviews analyzing income, franchise, sales and use, payroll, ad valorem taxes, and others to identify optimal filing options, exemptions, credits, incentives, and corporate structures that reduce client tax burden
• Prepare returns for complex State & Local Income/Franchise Tax matters and demonstrate understanding of increasingly complex tax concepts
• Respond to inquiries from the IRS and other tax authorities
• Perform other duties as assigned

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting
• Minimum two to six years of progressive tax compliance and/or tax consulting experience
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong teamwork and analytical skills with attention to detail
• Strong computer skills including proficiency in Microsoft Excel
• Ability to travel as needed

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• CPA, JD, or Certified Member of the Institute for Professionals in Taxation

COMPENSATION:

Base salary range: $101,200 - $129,030/yr, plus annual bonus. Placement within the pay range is based on multiple factors including job-related knowledge/skills, experience, business needs, progression within the role, geographic location, and internal equity.

--- SCREENING QUESTIONS:

• Can you describe your specific experience with State and Local Income and Franchise Tax compliance over the past 2-6 years, including the types of clients and complexity of returns you've handled?
• Walk us through your experience supervising, training, and mentoring junior staff or interns on tax projects. How have you assessed their performance and provided guidance?
• Tell us about your experience conducting multi-state tax reviews that analyze income, franchise, sales and use, payroll, and ad valorem taxes. What was the most complex situation you've managed?
• Describe your experience with reverse sales tax reviews and sales tax research. What audit defense work have you performed with tax authorities?
• Do you hold or are you actively working toward a CPA, JD, or Certified Member status with the Institute for Professionals in Taxation? If not, what is your timeline?
• What is your experience managing client tax engagements from start to finish, including planning, budgeting, and execution? Can you provide a specific example?
• Given that this role requires proficiency in Microsoft Excel and strong analytical skills, can you describe a complex tax analysis or project where you used Excel extensively to identify tax savings opportunities?