Smallbizpros

Tax Senior / Tax Specialist
Location: U.S. Remote (with occasional U.S. travel several times per year)
Reports to: Franchise Operations Specialist
Department: Operations – Tax

Who We Are

Padgett is one of North America's largest accounting, tax, and business consulting franchise organizations, with more than 140 independently owned firms serving small business clients throughout the United States. Our mission is to empower franchise owners to build thriving practices and deliver exceptional tax, accounting, and advisory services to their clients.

Headquartered in Athens, Georgia, our Home Office team consists of experienced professionals dedicated to supporting franchise success through technical expertise, training, consulting, and operational guidance.

At Padgett, we foster a professional, collaborative, and respectful work environment that values continuous learning, work-life balance, and shared success. We work across departments without silos, focusing on helping our franchise network grow and succeed.

Position Summary

Padgett is seeking an experienced tax professional to serve as a key resource for federal tax compliance, tax research, technical support, and tax education across our franchise network. This position will spend the majority of its time supporting franchisees and their staff on federal tax matters, including interpreting tax law changes, answering technical questions, preparing educational content, and assisting with tax return review and preparation as needed.

The ideal candidate possesses strong federal tax expertise, excellent communication skills, and a passion for helping practitioners serve small business clients. Our support team consists of experienced CPAs and EAs who collaborate to provide technical guidance, training, and resources to franchise owners nationwide.

Key Responsibilities

Federal Tax Support (Primary Focus-90%)

• Serve as a subject matter expert on federal income taxation and related compliance requirements for individuals and business entities, including partnerships, S-corporations, and C-corporations.
• Possess experience in the preparation of gift, trust, and estate tax returns.
• Research and respond to complex tax questions from franchisees through help desk software, email, phone, and remote support tools.
• Assist franchise owners with IRS notices and the resolution of IRS disputes.
• Monitor tax law developments, IRS guidance, and regulatory changes affecting small businesses and individual taxpayers.
• Communicate timely tax updates, technical guidance, and best practices to franchise owners and staff.
• Collaborate with tax teams to develop and deliver tax training programs, webinars, and educational presentations.
• Assist with tax season readiness initiatives and support franchisees with tax workflow and compliance challenges.

Accounting, Payroll & Software Support (Secondary Focus-10%)

• Provide guidance on small business accounting, bookkeeping, payroll, and financial reporting matters.
• Support client accounting workflows and process improvement initiatives.
• Serve as a resource for general accounting and payroll questions as needed.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field required.
• CPA or EA designation required.
• Three or more years of public accounting or tax practice experience required.
• Significant experience preparing and reviewing federal income tax returns for individuals and business entities.

Skills Required

• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills.
• Ability to communicate complex tax concepts clearly to practitioners and clients.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical abilities.
• Experience in supporting small business clients.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple responsibilities during busy tax seasons.
• Strong relationship-building skills and a collaborative mindset.
• Solutions-oriented and proactive.
• Passionate about helping tax professionals succeed.
• Collaborative team player with a service-focused approach.
• Committed to continuous learning and professional development.
• Working knowledge of our current technology stack, including but not limited to, UltraTax, Stanford Tax, Tallyfor, Xero, QuickBooks Online, Syft Analytics, ADP, Gusto, Karbon, Checkpoint Edge, and BlueJ.

What We Offer

• Strong emphasis on work-life balance, including a reduced summer work schedule.
• Competitive salary.
• Comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and employer-paid short and long-term disability coverage.
• Paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays.
• Two-week paid sabbatical after every five years of full-time employment.
• 401(k) plan with employer match.
• Fully remote work environment with limited travel requirements.
• Opportunity to work with an experienced and growing national organization.
• No planned overtime; typical work hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET.

To apply, please send a resume with a cover letter.