Director - State and Local Tax (SALT)

Job Description

Director - State and Local Tax

Corporate Tax Services Group –

About Us:

West Coast regional accounting firm with over 70 professionals and offices in multiple cities. The Corporate Tax Services group serves more than one hundred and fifty SEC registrants and hundreds of private-equity-owned and venture-backed businesses. We are 100% focused on Accounting for Income Tax, Tax Provision, Tax Accounting (ASC 740, FAS 109, FIN48, etc.), tax compliance, and tax consulting for our high-profile corporate clients. In addition, we provide complete or partial outsourcing for our clients’ tax departments. Recognized as a leader in this space, the group's collaborative, fast-paced, and dynamic environment offers employees the opportunity to work with high caliber team members, our counterparts at the Big 4 and other national audit firms, and diverse top-tier clients while maintaining a small firm atmosphere.

State and Local Tax Director:

We are in search of a State and Local Tax Director, who will be primarily responsible for all aspects of our clients’ state and local corporate income/franchise tax needs. This role requires that the candidate be a subject matter specialist under California or Oregon corporate tax law, with a preference towards California specialization. The candidate must possess strong knowledge of multistate tax issues and a general understanding of all states’ tax schemes, including differing sales factor sourcing rules and the basic mechanics of each states’ income and franchise tax calculations. As the candidate will assume the role as the top-ranked state and local tax specialist for the firm and/or our clients’ outsourced tax departments, he/she must have the knowledge, experience, and ability to make correct decisions and conclusions related to state and local tax matters without supervision or review. In addition, depending on the level of complexity related to the project or calculations at issue, the candidate will be required to prepare substantial amounts of workbooks, calculations, memorandums, etc., without the assistance of support staff or managers.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Initiate, monitor, and deliver tax compliance and advisory services in a timely and accurate manner.
• Prepare and/or review all Income Tax Provisions related to state issues, including State Rate and FIN48 calculations.
• Draft technical memoranda, including FIN48, sales sourcing, and nexus memoranda.
• Create and/or review multistate Apportionment Schedules for provision and tax return purposes.
• Review corporate income tax returns prepared on behalf of our clients under all states, cities, and local taxes.
• Provide tax controversy representation primarily with the California Franchise Tax Board but, also to a limited degree, for other states.
• Identify, design, and implement tax planning strategies to minimize taxes and reduce tax compliance burdens.
• Lead in conference calls with clients, the Big 4 and other accounting and law firms, as the firm’s State and Local Tax specialist.
• Monitor changes in state laws, including changes in apportionment formulas, sales factor sourcing rules, combined versus separate states, consolidated elections, water’s-edge and worldwide elections, state DRDs, and state rates. Update the firm’s apportionment schedule templates and other multistate charts on an annual basis.
• Draft and post internal SALT Alerts related to information and/or updates relevant to our clients and practice.
• Conduct nexus analysis and nexus planning.
• Assist with day-to-day state and local tax matters that may arise.
• Manage projects to ensure technically-accurate products and high-quality deliverables are presented to clients.
• Manage projects within budgetary and time constraints while providing a high-level of client satisfaction.
• Ensure complete communication with client and firm personnel.
• Build client relationships and demonstrate knowledge of client business.

Participate in the mentoring and development of team members

• Help to develop and guide staff by providing effective performance feedback and ensuring team responsibilities are consistent with skills and developmental goals.
• Be actively involved in and a positive influence on team recruiting, development, training, and retention.
• Provide firm leadership through example, including always adhering to firm policies.

Technical Skill Development

• Build on technical competence by keeping up to date on trends and developments.
• Demonstrate deep technical expertise in state and local tax compliance and consulting.

Exemplify values

• Demonstrate professionalism through a positive and cooperative attitude and by maintaining the confidential nature of client relationships and related work products.

Continuously work toward the goals and objectives established in your professional development plan

• Contribute to the overall success of the team by developing a thorough understanding of methodologies and tools to enhance service delivery; keeping team members informed of work status and proactively seeking opportunities to provide tax services.
• Effectively manage firm resources. This includes a book of business, professional staff, and firm assets.
• Recognize opportunities to provide additional service to existing clients.
• Assist in firm administrative functions as assigned by the Partners.

Position Requirements & Qualifications:

The candidate must have an active CPA or State Bar license in his/her home state. At a minimum, the candidate must hold a Bachelor of Accountancy or equivalent degree, however, a Masters of Accountancy, a Masters of Taxation, or a Juris Doctor is preferred. The candidate must be a Senior Manager (or equivalent position) with at least three years of Senior Manager experience in the public accounting environment. Experience with FTB audit, FTB refund claim, FTB Protest, FTB Settlement, and/or SBE appeal procedures is desired.