Tax Accountant

Tax Accountant

Role overview & background

Kelaca is seeking a Tax Accountant for their client partner, a small CPA firm in Raritan, New Jersey. The firm needs an experienced, hands-on accountant who can handle both tax preparation and day-to-day client bookkeeping in a lean, delivery-focused environment.

This hire is being made to add capacity ahead of tax season and support a growing client portfolio. The role is designed to take on core accounting and tax work from the firm owner so the practice can keep client records current while creating more room for proactive planning and advisory work.

The Tax Accountant will manage a mix of bookkeeping, financial statement preparation, tax return work, and related compliance tasks across multiple client engagements. The person in this role will keep records usable, filings on track, and outputs reliable enough to support reporting and tax planning.

Key responsibilities

• Prepare individual and business tax returns, including Forms 1040, 1065, 1120, and 1120S.

• Manage bookkeeping and accounting records for client accounts using QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop.

• Reconcile bank accounts, credit card activity, payroll records, and other source documents.

• Prepare financial statements from original data entry through final account reconciliation.

• Record and review revenues, expenses, liabilities, and fixed assets accurately.

• Complete payroll tax and sales tax work for small and medium-sized business clients.

• Support tax planning and tax projection work by keeping client data current and usable.

• Handle multiple client engagements at once while maintaining accuracy and timeliness.

What success looks like

• Client accounting records are current, accurate, and ready for tax preparation or planning discussions.

• Tax returns and related workpapers are completed to a high standard and ready for review on time.

• The role reduces day-to-day delivery pressure on the firm owner.

• Client work is handled with sound judgement, consistency, and clear communication.

• Peak-season workload is managed without compromising quality or responsiveness.

Knowledge & tools

• Bachelor's degree in accounting or business administration with an accounting concentration (Required)

• Strong working knowledge of individual and business tax preparation (5+ years).

• Ability to interpret and apply tax rules and regulations in practical client scenarios.

• Advanced use of QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop.

• Strong bookkeeping/accounting and financial statement preparation capability (5+ years).

• Experience with payroll tax and sales tax work.

• Ability to contribute to tax planning and tax projection activity.

• Familiarity with UltraTax is preferred.

• Exposure to tools such as SurePrep and SafeSend is helpful.

Capabilities

• Works independently and takes ownership of end-to-end client tasks.

• Moves confidently between bookkeeping detail and broader tax deliverables.

• Manages several priorities at once without losing accuracy.

• Communicates clearly with clients and colleagues when clarifying issues or next steps.

• Uses practical judgement in a small-firm setting where work is visible and outcomes matter.

Behavioral signals

• Resilient under deadline pressure and able to stay steady during busy periods.

• Strong sense of accountability and the ability to work independently with minimal oversight.

• Clear, structured communicator with clients and internal stakeholders.

• Collaborative and low-ego in a small team where people rely on each other.

• Emotionally aware and able to navigate client needs with professionalism.

Interfaces

• Works closely with the firm owner on workload priorities, review points, and client delivery.

• Interacts with business and individual tax clients to gather information and clarify accounting matters.

• Coordinates around bookkeeping, tax preparation, payroll tax, sales tax, and related follow-up activity.

Location & working pattern

• Location: Raritan, New Jersey.

• Work style: On-site.

• Hours: Typical Monday to Friday schedule, with heavier in-season demand and potential overtime during tax season.

This is a lean, practical accounting environment with a strong focus on delivery. The workload is seasonal: tax season is deadline-driven and may include overtime, while the rest of the year allows for steadier bookkeeping, clean-up work, and planning support. The role is on-site and suited to someone comfortable in a small team with direct communication and a high level of day-to-day ownership.

This role offers broad exposure across accounting and tax work rather than a narrow specialism. It suits someone who enjoys practical client work, values accuracy, and wants visible impact in a small CPA firm. If you are an experienced tax and accounting professional who wants to contribute in a close-knit, delivery-focused environment with seasonal variation in workload, this opportunity could be a strong fit.

Kelaca is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in employment based on age, disability, national origin, race, color, religion, protected veteran status, genetic information, gender, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, or other non-merit factor.