Payroll Tax Operations and Services Specialist - Remote

Overview

This role supports Payroll Tax Operations (PTO) as a senior payroll tax professional responsible for the accurate and timely resolution of payroll tax issues across Notices, Corrections, Amendments, and Pay & File. You will operate as a core production contributor, applying strong technical competence and meaningful independence while handling a high-volume case workload.

This is a detail-oriented, customer-focused position involving hands-on resolution of tax notices, correction of payroll errors, preparation of amended returns, and mentoring/role modeling for colleagues while continuing to deepen technical expertise.

Responsibilities

• Execute full-cycle payroll tax case work for assigned accounts, including:
  • Process payroll runs accurately
  • Audit pre- and post-payroll output
  • Manage tax filings and payments
  • Maintain 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 each case 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 on complex amendments while retaining ownership
• Support payroll correction workflows by:
  • Identifying the source of a payroll error
  • Quantifying tax impact across affected quarters
  • Documenting the correction audit trail
  • Seeing the resolution through to completion
• Manage a personal WIP queue with discipline by prioritizing cases by SLA date, flagging aging cases before they breach SLA, 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
• Contribute to SOP and KB updates by flagging outdated content, suggesting revisions, and documenting solutions to previously unresolved issues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

Qualifications

• 2–3+ years of hands-on payroll tax experience with a strong focus on notice resolution, amended return preparation, and payroll error correction across multiple states (not general payroll administration only)
• 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 the appropriate resolution path
• Demonstrated experience resolving State and Federal payroll tax notices independently, including:
  • Balance-due notices
  • Penalty assessments
  • SUI rate change notices
  • 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, 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
• 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; able to trace a tax discrepancy through a spreadsheet independently
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to interact professionally with state and federal tax agencies and document case activity clearly and completely
• 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, and 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 (for candidates with 4+ years of experience)
• Experience in a payroll service bureau, PEO, or multi-client payroll tax environment

Compensation & Benefits

This position includes a competitive compensation package with pay for performance rewards. The expected base pay range is:

• 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

You may be eligible for a cash bonus, equity rewards, and benefits, in accordance with applicable plans and programs.

Location

• Remote / virtual work with a requirement of at least 20 hours per week, with the option to flex up to 40 hours per week based on business need.

This is an hourly, non-exempt position and is eligible for overtime pay.