Payroll Tax Operations and Services Senior Specialist - Remote

Overview

This role supports Payroll Tax Operations (PTO) as 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 position focuses on fixing payroll tax problems—not running payroll. The Staff Payroll Tax Processor serves as a technical lead and a catalyst for the team, spending significant time supporting less experienced staff while independently owning the most complex cases in the queue.

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.
  • Own 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.
  • Include reconciliation to the original return, recomputed liability schedules, W-2c preparation, and SSA reconciliation.
• Diagnose and resolve payroll tax errors spanning multiple pay periods or jurisdictions.
  • Trace discrepancies to the originating payroll run, determine tax impact across all affected quarters, and drive the full correction workflow to confirmed resolution.
• Maintain high productivity case resolution with high accuracy for customer Correction, Amendment, and Notice resolution requests.
• Monitor team WIP daily.
  • Identify aging cases, stuck holds, and Known Issues (KIs); resolve barriers proactively.
  • Escalate 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.
  • Answer questions via Slack, Zoom, and side-by-side sessions.
  • Teach the resolution process so the team builds capability without dependency.
• Conduct structured coaching sessions at least once per quarter with each assigned team member using the SBIC feedback model.
  • Increase coaching frequency for agents underperforming or working through a learning gap.
• Participate in 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.
  • Experience 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.
• Prior experience functioning as a lead, senior specialist, or SME.
  • Ability to provide 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 and actionable, 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.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP)
• Enrolled Agent (EA)

Compensation & Benefits

• This is an hourly, non-exempt position.
• Eligible for overtime pay.
• Cash bonus and equity rewards and benefits are available in accordance with applicable plans and programs.

Expected base pay range (by location):

• 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

This role supports virtual expert services and is performed with flexible hours.

Minimum hours: 20 hours per week; option to flex up to 40 hours per week based on business need.