Overview
This role is a senior payroll tax position within Payroll Tax Operations (PTO). The Staff Payroll Tax Processor serves as a technical lead and subject matter expert on end-to-end resolution of payroll tax issues across Notices, Corrections, and Amendments.
This role primarily focuses on fixing payroll tax problems (not running payroll). It resolves complex State and Federal tax notices, prepares and files amended returns across multiple states, corrects multi-period payroll tax errors, and ensures knowledge transfer so the team can resolve issues independently.
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
- SSA reconciliation
- Diagnose and resolve payroll tax errors spanning multiple pay periods or jurisdictions by tracing discrepancies to the originating payroll run and determining tax impact across all affected quarters.
- Drive the complete correction workflow through confirmed resolution.
- Maintain high productivity case resolution with high accuracy for customer Correction, Amendment, and Notice resolution requests.
- Monitor daily work-in-progress (WIP) and identify aging cases, stuck holds, and Known Issues (KIs); proactively resolve barriers 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.
- Teach the resolution process to build team capability and reduce dependency.
- Conduct structured coaching sessions at least once per quarter with each assigned team member using the SBIC feedback model; increase 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 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
- Payroll error correction across multiple states
- Expert knowledge of State and Federal payroll tax notice types; 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, including:
- FICA
- FUTA
- FITW
- Employment tax deposit schedules
- 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, with the ability 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, with advanced Excel skills for reconciliation and audit trail work.
- Strong written communication skills; SOPs and KB articles must be accurate and 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
- This position includes 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 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
Location
This is a virtual role. Expected work availability is a minimum of 20 hours per week, with the option to flex up to 40 hours per week based on business need. As an hourly, non-exempt position, this role is eligible for overtime pay.