Remote Payroll Operations Specialist

Overview

This role involves joining Payroll Tax Operations (PTO) as a payroll tax professional responsible for accurately and timely resolving payroll tax issues across Notices, Corrections, Amendments, and Pay & File.

The Senior Payroll Tax Processor is a core production contributor on a high-volume casework team, providing technical competence and meaningful independence throughout each workload.

Responsibilities

• Execute full-cycle payroll tax case work for assigned accounts, including:
  • Processing payroll runs accurately
  • Auditing pre- and post-payroll output
  • Managing tax filings and payments
  • Maintaining compliance across all active jurisdictions
• Independently research and resolve complex State and Federal payroll tax notices, such as:
  • 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, submitted within agency-required deadlines and including confirmation of receipt
• Prepare amended payroll tax returns (Form 941-X and state equivalents) independently for 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 resolutions through to completion
• Manage a personal WIP queue with discipline by prioritizing cases by SLA date, flagging aging cases before SLA breach, and maintaining thorough 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• Contribute to SOP and knowledge base (KB) updates by flagging outdated content, suggesting revisions, and documenting solutions to previously unresolved issues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
  • Payroll error correction across multiple states (not just general payroll administration)
• Working knowledge of IRS and state agency notice types, including the ability to read a notice, identify its type, understand the agency’s claim, and determine 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, 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, 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
  • 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 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

The organization provides a competitive compensation package with pay for performance rewards.

Expected base pay range:

• 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

This position 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.

Location

• California (Bay Area)
• Southern California
• Colorado
• District of Columbia
• Hawaii
• Illinois
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Minnesota
• New Jersey
• New York
• Ohio
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington

Schedule

• This is an hourly, non-exempt position.
• Minimum of 20 hours per week, with the option to flex up to 40 hours per week based on business need.
• Eligible for overtime pay.