Payroll Tax Specialist (Remote)

Overview

This role supports Payroll Tax Operations (PTO) as a payroll tax professional responsible for the accurate and timely resolution of payroll tax issues across Notices, Corrections, Amendments, and Pay & File. You will serve as a Senior Payroll Tax Processor, contributing to production case work with strong technical competence and meaningful independence across a high-volume workload.

The position involves detailed, customer-focused payroll tax work, including resolving tax notices, correcting payroll errors, and preparing amended returns. You will also act as a mentor and role model for colleagues while continuing to deepen your 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
  • Account mismatch notices
  • Own 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, retaining ownership
• Support payroll correction workflows by:
  • Identifying the source of a payroll error
  • Quantifying the tax impact across affected quarters
  • Documenting the correction audit trail
  • Seeing resolution through to completion
• Manage a personal WIP queue with discipline:
  • Prioritize cases by SLA date
  • Flag aging cases before SLA breach
  • Maintain 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  • Flagging outdated content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
  • Documenting solutions to previously unresolved issues
• Participate in cross-functional collaboration with Corrections, Amendments, Pay & File, and Tax Notice teams; serve as a role model for TP1 staff and seek coaching and development from Staff Payroll Tax Processor and managers

Minimum Work Hours

• Minimum 20 hours per week
• Flex up to 40 hours per week based on business need

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

Requirements

• 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:
  • Reading a notice
  • Identifying the type
  • Understanding the agency’s claim
  • Determining an 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
• Solid understanding of 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 (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
  • 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
  • Reconciliation auditing
  • 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

Compensation & Benefits

• Expected base pay range (by 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
• Eligibility 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
• Regular pay comparisons are conducted across categories of ethnicity and gender

Location

Work location varies by state; base pay range is listed by location above.