Payroll Services Specialist - Remote

Overview

This role in Payroll Tax Operations (PTO) is responsible for accurately and timely resolving payroll tax issues across Notices, Corrections, Amendments, and Pay & File. The Senior Payroll Tax Processor is a core production contributor on a high-volume case workload, with strong technical competence and meaningful independence.

This position is hourly and non-exempt.

Responsibilities

• Execute full-cycle payroll tax case work for assigned accounts, including processing payroll runs accurately, auditing pre- and post-payroll output, managing tax filings and payments, and maintaining compliance across all active jurisdictions.
• Independently research and resolve complex State and Federal payroll tax notices (including balance-due notices, deposit discrepancies, SUI rate change notices, and account mismatch notices), owning cases from intake through confirmed closure.
• Prepare written agency responses with complete supporting documentation; submit within agency-required deadlines and confirm receipt.
• Prepare amended payroll tax returns (Form 941-X and state equivalents) independently for complex amendments.
• Support payroll correction workflows by identifying the source of a payroll error, quantifying tax impact across affected quarters, documenting the correction audit trail, and seeing resolutions through to completion.
• Manage a personal WIP queue by prioritizing cases by SLA date, flagging aging cases before SLA breaches, and maintaining thorough case documentation from first touch to closure.
• Perform high-level trend analysis of customer data, system data, and agency correspondence to identify process or system deficiencies.
• Actively contribute to SOP and KB updates by flagging outdated content, suggesting revisions, and documenting solutions to previously unresolved issues.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Corrections, Amendments, Pay & File, and Tax Notice teams; serve as a role model for TP1 staff and actively seek coaching and development from Staff Payroll Tax Processor and managers.

Requirements

• 2–3+ years of hands-on payroll tax experience, focused on notice resolution, amended return preparation, and payroll error correction across multiple states (not general payroll administration).
• Working knowledge of IRS and state agency notice types, including the ability to read a notice, identify the type, understand the agency’s claim, and determine an appropriate resolution path.
• Demonstrated experience resolving State and Federal payroll tax notices independently, including balance-due notices, penalty assessments, SUI rate change notices, and deposit mismatch notices.
• Comprehensive knowledge of tax payment and filing regulations, including the distinction between employee and employer tax responsibilities across federal and state jurisdictions.
• Hands-on experience preparing and approving amended Federal (Form 941-X, W-2c) and State payroll tax returns across all states, including jurisdictions with complex local requirements such as PA and OH.
• Deep knowledge of federal payroll tax law, including FICA, FUTA, FITW, employment tax deposit schedules, and associated penalty and interest structures.
• Multi-state payroll tax expertise, including reciprocal agreements, resident and nonresident taxation, SUI account management, and local tax compliance across multiple jurisdictions.
• Proficiency with at least one payroll platform and comfort navigating case management systems such as Salesforce.
• Excel/Google Sheets skills required, including VLOOKUP, pivot tables, and reconciliation auditing, with the ability to trace a tax discrepancy through a spreadsheet independently.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including professional interaction with state and federal tax agencies and clear, complete documentation of case activity.
• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Business, or Finance preferred; equivalent experience accepted.
• Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) required.
• CPP preferred for candidates with 4+ years of experience; active pursuit of CPP is viewed favorably. CPP holders will be evaluated for accelerated development.
• Experience at a payroll service bureau, PEO, or multi-client payroll tax environment is a significant advantage.

Preferred Qualifications

• CPP certification (preferred).
• Experience in a payroll service bureau, PEO, or multi-client payroll tax environment.
• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Business, or Finance (preferred).

Compensation & Benefits

• Expected base pay range (hourly) depends on work location:
  • California (Bay Area): $36.00 - $49.00
  • Southern California: $36.00 - $49.00
  • Colorado: $27.00 - $36.50
  • District of Columbia: $27.00 - $36.50
  • Hawaii: $28.50 - $38.50
  • Illinois: $27.00 - $36.50
  • Maine: $25.00 - $33.50
  • Maryland: $27.00 - $36.50
  • Massachusetts: $28.50 - $38.50
  • Minnesota: $25.00 - $33.50
  • New Jersey: $28.50 - $38.50
  • New York: $29.50 - $34.47
  • Ohio: $25.00 - $33.50
  • Vermont: $27.00 - $36.50
  • Virginia: $27.00 - $36.50
  • Washington: $28.50 - $38.50
• This position may be eligible for a cash bonus, equity rewards, and benefits in accordance with applicable plans and programs.
• Pay offered is based on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and work location.

Location

• Bay Area California, Southern California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Vermont, Virginia, or Washington (as specified by the base pay range).