Senior Payroll Tax & Compliance Specialist

Overview

A Senior Payroll Tax & Compliance Specialist position is available for a detail-oriented and dependable professional with strong analytical skills. This role involves supporting payroll tax functions, audit requests, status reporting, special projects, and other related duties. The position reports to the Employee Experience, Tax and Compliance Manager.

The specialist will act as a subject matter expert for U.S. and Canadian payroll tax compliance, managing complex payroll tax matters independently, resolving tax issues, and ensuring compliance with federal, state, local, and provincial regulations.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary payroll tax expert for multi-state U.S. and Canadian payroll operations, ensuring compliance with all relevant tax regulations.
• Research, analyze, and resolve complex payroll tax issues and respond to inquiries and notices from IRS, state and local tax authorities, CRA, and provincial agencies.
• Lead payroll tax compliance activities related to employee hires, transfers, and organizational changes, ensuring accurate tax withholding and reporting.
• Communicate directly with federal, state, local, and Canadian tax agencies to resolve escalated tax matters.
• Conduct audits and reviews of employee tax configurations, payroll tax withholdings, and system setups to identify and mitigate compliance risks.
• Manage payroll tax adjustments, amendments, corrections, including complex W-2/W-2c processing and employee tax record remediation.
• Perform advanced analysis, reconciliations, and research to support payroll tax audits and regulatory examinations.
• Review and validate quarterly and annual payroll tax filings such as Forms 941, 940, W-2, W-2c, T4, and other U.S. and Canadian tax reports.
• Provide expertise in Canadian payroll tax compliance, including CPP, EI, EHT, federal and provincial tax requirements, and year-end reporting.
• Review state unemployment insurance rate notices, assess impacts, and coordinate implementation with payroll vendors and internal teams.
• Evaluate and oversee new tax account registrations, jurisdictional filing requirements, and agency account maintenance.
• Collaborate with payroll vendors, HR, Finance, and external agencies to resolve complex tax matters and ensure accurate payroll tax reporting and remittance.
• Support internal and external audits by providing technical guidance, documentation, and analysis related to payroll tax compliance.
• Identify opportunities to improve payroll tax processes, controls, and compliance procedures to enhance operational efficiency and reduce risk.

Required Qualifications

• High School Diploma with 5+ years of progressive multi-state and Canadian payroll experience, including payroll tax compliance.
• Experience with UKGPro payroll system.
• Experience managing large payroll volumes, ideally for 10,000 employees or more.
• Strong attention to detail, deadline-oriented, with excellent communication skills.
• Ability to appropriately escalate employee or system issues.
• Outcome-driven mindset focused on accuracy and timely processing.
• Organized and focused to drive results, improve processes, manage complex escalations, and meet operational deadlines.
• Strong teamwork skills with the ability to collaborate and develop business relationships, as well as work independently.
• Proficiency with MS Excel, including Pivot Tables, VLOOKUPs, and complex formulas.
• Knowledge of federal, state, local, and Canadian tax regulations.
• Ability to identify gaps in controls and processes.
• U.S. citizenship is required with the ability to obtain security clearance as needed.

Compensation & Benefits

• Pay range: $52,000.00 - $94,000.00 annually.
• Compensation offers consider job responsibilities, education, experience, skills, internal equity, market data, and applicable agreements.
• Benefits include competitive compensation, health and wellness programs, income protection, paid leave, and retirement plans.

Location

• Remote position.

Additional Information

• The job requisition is anticipated to remain open for at least 3 days from the original posting date of July 21, 2026.
• Applicants should be aware of fraudulent employment offers and only respond to official communications.
• Equal employment opportunity is provided without regard to legally protected characteristics.