Remote Senior Payroll Specialist

Overview

This role is focused on payroll tax defect resolution—not payroll processing. The Staff Payroll Tax Processor serves as a technical lead and Subject Matter Expert (SME) supporting end-to-end resolution of payroll tax issues across Notices, Corrections, and Amendments.

Key aspects of the role include independently owning the most complex cases, providing real-time support and hands-on help to less experienced team members, and transferring knowledge so the team can resolve issues effectively.

Responsibilities

• Resolve the most complex State and Federal payroll tax notices in the team 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, determining tax impact across all affected quarters, and driving the complete correction workflow through confirmed resolution.
• Maintain high productivity while resolving customer Correction, Amendment, and Notice requests with high accuracy.
• Monitor team WIP daily; identify aging cases, stuck holds, and Known Issues (KIs); resolve barriers proactively and bring systemic blockers to M1 with root-cause analysis and a recommended resolution path.
• Act 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 so the team builds capability, not dependency.
• Conduct structured coaching sessions at least once per quarter with each assigned team member using the SBIC feedback model; increase 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 action to M1.
• Identify trends and emerging compliance issues; communicate findings to M1 and relevant stakeholders with a recommended response; drive implementation of resolutions.
• 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, including 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 payroll service bureau, PEO, or multi-client payroll tax operations environments

Compensation & Benefits

• Expected base pay range (hourly), 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
• This position will be eligible for a cash bonus, equity rewards, and benefits, in accordance with applicable plans and programs.
• Pay offered is based on factors such as job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and work location.

Location

• This role is eligible for flexible scheduling and is described as a virtual expert services role.
• Work location impacts hourly base pay as listed in the Compensation & Benefits section.