Finance Compliance & Accounting Specialist

Overview

This full-time role is for an India-based Finance Compliance & Accounting Specialist supporting US operations while working fully on US business hours. Responsibilities focus on US tax compliance—especially multi-state payroll tax—along with day-to-day accounting activities, including accounts payable and month-end close.

Location

Hyderabad (Remote)

Work Schedule

Permanent night shift aligned to US Central business hours (approx. 8:30 PM to 5:30 AM IST; one hour earlier during US daylight saving time)

Responsibilities

State Payroll Tax Compliance & Cleanup (about 50% of time)

• Lead cleanup of historical state payroll tax issues, including open notices, unapplied payments, missing or duplicate registrations, and prior-period filing gaps.
• Own state withholding (SIT), unemployment (SUI/SUTA), and local tax accounts across all active states.
• Register new state and local tax accounts before the first payroll in a new state, and close dormant accounts.
• Maintain a master tracker of all state accounts, including account numbers, filing frequencies, SUI rates, portal access, and POA status.
• Review annual SUI rate notices and confirm rates are updated in the payroll system on time.
• Validate filings and payments prepared by the payroll provider.
• Reconcile state tax liabilities to the general ledger each quarter.
• Apply correct withholding for remote and multi-state employees, including reciprocity, convenience-of-employer rules, paid family/medical leave programs, and local taxes.
• Research and resolve federal, state, and local tax notices within agreed SLAs, including calls and correspondence with state revenue and workforce agencies.
• Request penalty abatements where grounds exist, track to closure, and escalate to the CPA firm when needed.
• Respond to state unemployment claims and wage verification requests.

Corporate & Entity Tax Compliance (about 15% of time)

• Monitor state nexus from payroll, contractors, and revenue, and flag new filing obligations early.
• Manage state foreign qualifications, annual reports, and franchise tax filings.
• Track sales/use tax obligations for services and SaaS revenue with the CPA firm.
• Review Forms 941, 940, and W-2/W-3 prepared by the payroll provider.
• Coordinate 1099-NEC/1096 reporting and W-9 collection.
• Prepare federal and state income tax workpapers and apportionment data for the CPA firm.

Accounts Payable & General Accounting (about 35% of time)

• Process vendor invoices end to end: coding, approval routing, and scheduled payment runs.
• Maintain vendor records and respond to vendor inquiries.
• Prepare bank and credit card reconciliations.
• Prepare journal entries for accruals, prepaid expenses, and payroll.
• Support month-end close, including payroll, payroll tax, and balance sheet account reconciliations.
• Review expense reimbursements and payroll registers for accuracy and policy compliance.
• Provide documentation to auditors and the external CPA firm.

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s in Accounting, Finance, or Commerce (B.Com, M.Com, MBA Finance)
• Experience: 4+ years in accounting, including at least 2 years of hands-on US multi-state payroll tax work and experience with US accounts payable and general ledger
• Tax knowledge: SIT/SUI registration, multi-state withholding, reciprocity, nexus, and notice resolution
• Accounting knowledge: US GAAP fundamentals, accruals, reconciliations, and month-end close
• Payroll platforms: ADP, Gusto, Paylocity, Rippling, or QuickBooks Payroll
• Accounting systems: QuickBooks Online, NetSuite, Xero, or Zoho Books
• Excel: Advanced (pivot tables, XLOOKUP, reconciliations)
• Shift requirement: Able to work a permanent night shift aligned to US Central business hours
• Communication: Clear, professional written and spoken English, including phone calls with state agencies, US managers, and the CPA firm
• Work style: Highly organized, deadline-driven, and comfortable owning issues to resolution without close supervision

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience at a US-based IT services, consulting, or SaaS company
• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Enrolled Agent (EA), earned or in progress
• Experience with AP automation tools such as Bill.com or Ramp
• Experience with India–US intercompany accounting

What Success Looks Like (First 6 to 12 Months)

• Historical state tax issues cleaned up, with every open notice resolved or on a documented path to resolution
• A complete, current tracker of every state and local account
• Zero late state filings or payments
• Vendor invoices processed and paid on schedule and coded accurately
• Assigned reconciliations completed by the close deadline and tied to the general ledger