Senior Tax Associate

Job Description:

Position Summary

Job Description: Tax Senior – Remote (U.S.)

About Us:
We’re a modern CPA firm based in Capitola, California, serving service-based S corporations across the U.S. We pride ourselves on proactive, tech-enabled advisory. We're small, collaborative, and care deeply about quality work and work-life balance.

Our Tech Stack: CCH Axcess, CCH Scan & AutoFlow, PDFlyer, Truss (client portal), Monday.com (project management), Google, Slack and Zoom (for interoffice communciation), Ignition (engagement letters).

What We’re Looking For:
We’re hiring a Senior Tax Associate to help lead and manage individual and business tax work. You’ll work directly with the founder, support a small team, and take ownership of client engagements from start to finish. We’re seeking someone dependable, curious, and process-oriented, who wants to grow with the firm.

Key Responsibilities

  1. Prepare and review federal and state tax returns for S corporations, partnerships, and high-income individuals

  2. Manage year-round tax planning, quarterly estimates, and projections for client businesses

  3. Guide clients through the California passthrough entity tax (PTET), retirement planning, and owner compensation strategies

  4. Provide strategic support for IRS/state notices and correspondence

  5. Help document and improve internal systems, checklists, and workflow tools

  6. Communicate proactively with clients and collaborate with our accounting team

  7. Mentor junior staff as the team grows

Qualifications

  • CPA or EA required

  • 3–5 years experience in public accounting with a strong foundation in small business taxation

  • Comfortable preparing returns in CCH Axcess

  • Strong working knowledge of S corporations and passthrough taxation

  • Ability to explain tax concepts clearly to non-tax-savvy business owners

  • Experience with tools like Monday.com, Truss, Zapier a plus

  • Based in or willing to relocate to Santa Cruz County is preferred & additional compensation available for in person employees

Skills and Competencies

  • Strong understanding of federal and state tax laws.

  • Proficiency in tax preparation software (CCH Axcess, CCH Scan & AutoFlow), Truss and Microsoft Office Suite.

  • Excellent analytical skills and attention to detail.

  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills for working with diverse clients.

  • Ability to work effectively managing multiple projects at once and maintaining the project management software throughout the project life cycle.

What We Offer

  • Competitive compensation ($80k–$105k DOE), + benefits + bonus

    • additional compensation available to local employees

  • PTO, paid holidays, and professional development and health/adventure stipend

  • Collaborative, growth-focused team