Payroll Tax Operations and Services Senior Specialist - Remote

Overview

This role is part of Payroll Tax Operations (PTO) and focuses on end-to-end resolution of payroll tax issues related to Notices, Corrections, and Amendments. You will serve as a senior payroll tax expert and Subject Matter Expert (SME), acting as a technical lead who independently owns the most complex cases while also enabling less experienced staff through hands-on support.

This position is primarily focused on tax defect resolution (not running payroll), including resolving complex State and Federal notices, preparing and filing amended returns across multiple states, correcting multi-period payroll tax errors, and transferring knowledge to the team.

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, 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 and resolve 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 escalate systemic blockers with root-cause analysis and a recommended resolution path.
• Provide real-time support to Senior Payroll Tax Processors by answering questions via Slack, Zoom, and side-by-side sessions; teach the resolution process so capability grows 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 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 recommend corrective actions.
• Identify trends and emerging compliance issues; communicate findings with a recommended response, and drive implementation.
• 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 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.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Payroll Professional (CPP)
• Enrolled Agent (EA)
• Experience in a payroll service bureau, PEO, or multi-client payroll tax operations environment

Compensation & Benefits

• Expected base pay range varies by work location.
• This position is hourly and non-exempt, eligible for overtime pay.
• This role 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.

Expected base pay ranges:

• 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

Location

• Remote, with work hours of a minimum of 20 hours per week and the option to flex up to 40 hours per week based on business need.