Overview
This role is for a Senior Payroll Tax Expert and Subject Matter Expert (SME) on a team responsible for end-to-end resolution of payroll tax issues across Notices, Corrections, and Amendments.
This is a technical lead role focused on fixing payroll tax problems (not running payroll). The Staff Payroll Tax Processor independently owns the most complex cases and also serves as a key resource for less experienced team members.
Responsibilities
- Resolve the most complex State and Federal payroll tax notices in the team’s queue, including multi-quarter, multi-state, and penalty assessment scenarios, owning the full case lifecycle from intake and root-cause analysis through agency response, submission, and confirmed closure.
- Prepare and file amended Federal and State payroll tax returns (Form 941-X and state equivalents) across 10+ states end-to-end, including reconciliation to the original return, recomputed liability schedules, W-2c preparation, and SSA reconciliation.
- Diagnose and resolve payroll tax errors across multiple pay periods or jurisdictions; trace discrepancies to the originating payroll run, determine tax impact across all affected quarters, and drive the complete correction workflow to confirmed resolution.
- Maintain high productivity while resolving customer Correction, Amendment, and Notice requests with high accuracy.
- Monitor work in progress (WIP) daily; identify aging cases, stuck holds, and Known Issues (KIs); resolve barriers proactively and bring systemic blockers to M1 with root-cause analysis and a recommended resolution path.
- Serve as a primary real-time resource for Senior Payroll Tax Processors by answering questions via Slack, Zoom, and side-by-side sessions while teaching the resolution process.
- Conduct structured coaching sessions at least once per quarter with each assigned team member using the SBIC feedback model; increase frequency for agents who are underperforming or working through a learning gap.
- Contribute to team huddles, group QA sessions, and process meetings.
- Author, review, and approve SOPs and Knowledge Base (KB) articles for core processes; identify recurring error patterns in QA data and bring corrective action recommendations to M1.
- Identify trends and emerging compliance issues; communicate findings to M1 and relevant stakeholders with a recommended response; drive implementation of resolutions.
- Support cross-functional collaboration with Corrections, Amendments, Pay & File, and Tax Notice teams to resolve interconnected customer issues end-to-end.
Qualifications
- 4+ years of payroll tax experience with a demonstrated focus on tax defect resolution for notice response, amended return preparation, and payroll error correction across multiple states.
- Expert knowledge of State and Federal payroll tax notice types; proven ability to independently draft penalty abatement requests and formal agency response letters with complete supporting documentation.
- 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, OH, and more.
- Deep knowledge of federal payroll tax law: 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.
- Prior experience functioning as a lead, senior specialist, or SME; able to provide specific examples of coaching or training junior staff through complex resolution scenarios.
- Deep knowledge of federal and state tax payment and filing regulations across all US jurisdictions; advanced Excel skills for reconciliation and audit trail work.
- Strong written communication skills; SOPs and KB articles must be accurate, actionable, and written for a Tax processor audience without requiring revision.
- Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business preferred; equivalent experience accepted.
- Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) preferred; expected within 18 months of Staff Payroll Tax Processor placement. FPC accepted for candidates with 5+ years of demonstrated tax defect resolution experience. Enrolled Agent (EA) is a strong differentiator.
- Experience at a payroll service bureau, PEO, or multi-client payroll tax operations environment strongly preferred.
Compensation & Benefits
- Pay is performance-based and includes an expected base pay range by location.
- This position will be eligible for a cash bonus, equity rewards, and benefits, in accordance with applicable plans and programs.
Expected base pay range (hourly)
- California (Bay Area): $40.50 - $54.50
- Southern California: $40.50 - $54.50
- Colorado: $32.00 - $43.50
- District of Columbia: $32.00 - $43.50
- Hawaii: $33.50 - $45.50
- Illinois: $32.00 - $43.50
- Maine: $29.00 - $39.50
- Maryland: $32.00 - $43.50
- Massachusetts: $33.50 - $45.50
- Minnesota: $29.00 - $39.50
- New Jersey: $33.50 - $45.50
- New York: $40.50 - $54.50
- Ohio: $29.00 - $39.50
- Vermont: $32.00 - $43.50
- Virginia: $32.00 - $43.50
- Washington: $33.50 - $45.50
Pay offered is based on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and work location.
Location & Schedule
- Virtual expert services role working year-round with flexible hours and schedules.
- Minimum of 20 hours per week with the option to flex up to 40 hours per week based on business need.
- Hourly, non-exempt position; eligible for overtime pay.
Preferred Qualifications
- Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) preferred; expected within 18 months of Staff Payroll Tax Processor placement.
- Enrolled Agent (EA) is a strong differentiator.
- Experience at a payroll service bureau, PEO, or multi-client payroll tax operations environment strongly preferred.