Tax Accountant

The Tax Accountant will administer and support state and local tax compliance for William Blair’s partnership operations across multiple U.S. jurisdictions. Prepare tax reports, schedules, work papers, payment support, and tax-related journal entries required for quarterly and year-end close processes. Coordinate with external tax advisors and internal stakeholders to gather information, support state income, franchise, withholding, composite, and other state and local tax filings, and help maintain complete and accurate tax records. Research state and local tax requirements, monitor compliance obligations and notices, identify potential issues or opportunities, and discuss findings with senior tax staff. Seek ways to improve tax processes, data collection, and operational efficiency while providing guidance to less experienced staff as needed.

Responsibilities include but may not be limited to:

• Prepare reports, schedules, reconciliations, and supporting work papers required for quarterly and year-end tax close processes, including tax-related journal entries.
• Administer state and local tax compliance tasks for partnership entities operating in multiple U.S. states, including coordinating information needed for state income, franchise, withholding, composite, and related filings.
• Gather, organize, and validate apportionment, partner, payroll, revenue, fixed asset, and other data required to support multistate tax return preparation and compliance calculations.
• Prepare and maintain state tax work papers, filing calendars, payment support, and documentation for external accountants and internal review.
• Support state estimated tax payments, extensions, withholding payments, composite tax payments, and other recurring state and local tax obligations.
• Calculate quarterly estimated tax payments for partnership returns and partner group returns, including preparing supporting schedules, reconciling payment amounts, and coordinating timely remittance across applicable jurisdictions.
• Administer California and Illinois pass-through entity tax programs, including tracking elections, calculating required payments, preparing supporting documentation, monitoring deadlines, and coordinating compliance with external advisors and internal stakeholders.
• Assist with the review of state and local tax notices, correspondence, account issues, and jurisdictional inquiries; coordinate responses with senior tax staff and external advisors.
• Research state and local tax laws, filing requirements, nexus considerations, apportionment rules, withholding obligations, and other developments relevant to the partnership’s operations.
• Recognize potential state and local tax issues, risks, or planning opportunities arising from business activities, entity structure, partner composition, or operational changes and discuss with senior tax staff.
• Ensure state and local tax records are maintained with appropriate detail and retained in accordance with internal policies and compliance requirements.
• Maintain fixed asset records for tax depreciation purposes, including reviewing asset additions, disposals, classifications, useful lives, depreciation methods, and related tax depreciation schedules to support state and local tax compliance, apportionment, property tax, and other related filing requirements.
• Identify opportunities to improve state and local tax compliance processes, data collection, calendar management, and operational efficiency; present recommendations to senior management.
• Provide mentoring and guidance to associate accounting staff.
• Additional responsibilities as requested.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, Taxation, or related field required
• CPA or CPA eligibility preferred
• 2+ years of tax or accounting experience required, preferably with state and local tax compliance responsibilities
• Public accounting, Big Four, or large corporate tax department experience preferred
• Partnership tax experience preferred
• Experience with multistate income, franchise, withholding, composite, property, sales and use, or other state and local tax matters preferred
• Familiarity with apportionment, nexus, state tax notices, filing calendars, estimated payments, extensions, and tax work paper preparation preferred
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills with the ability to work with large data sets and identify inconsistencies
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to coordinate with internal stakeholders and external advisors
• Commitment to satisfying internal and external customers
• Willing to assume significant responsibility and manage recurring compliance deadlines
• Detail orientation and ability to prioritize tasks across multiple jurisdictions and projects
• Desire to work in a team environment
• Proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel
• Positive attitude and demonstrates initiative and persistence

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