Payroll Tax Specialist

Purpose of the Position:

The Payroll Tax Specialist is responsible for the management of Payroll taxation for staff, faculty, and students, and ensures University compliance with federal and state laws surrounding nonresident tax, out-of-state tax, and all related payroll tax issues. This includes but is not limited to decision-making, independent thinking, researching, analyzing, auditing, and assessing data. This position is responsible for ensuring processes are completed per compliance and in a timely manner to adhere to all state and federal labor laws. The Payroll Tax Specialist ensures that UAH is in compliance with the Internal Revenue Service and all applicable state Departments of Revenue rules and regulations.

Key Responsibilities Include

• Responsible for the management of Payroll taxation for staff, faculty, and students, and ensures University compliance with federal and state laws surrounding nonresident tax, out-of-state tax, and all related payroll tax issues.

• Manage and coordinate all non-resident alien payroll processing utilizing Glacier Tax software.

• Review, analyze various Tax Summary related reports to include decision making, independent thinking, researching, auditing, and assessing data.

• Research and obtain tax information including W4 processing, and tax residency status information, and determine withholding status.  Communicate findings with employee or independent contractor.

• Manage I-94 forms issued by Homeland Security for arrival/departure record, and I-20 forms for accurate processing. Review documents for Visa category and their work eligibility for FICA and FICA Med exemption. Maintain visa-related data utilizing Glacier and Banner.

• Prepare, audit, and generate 1042S tax documents to eligible foreign employees who receive payments from Accounts Payable, Student Accounts/Financial Aid, and or Payroll.

• Track 1042-S processes to include wages exempted from federal tax withholding by a tax treaty, non-qualified taxable scholarships, and/or incidental expenses included in travel and expenses for equipment and other items,

• Manages and prepares bi-weekly tax remittance of tax to the state and quarterly filing for the state., to include Alabama state tax in support of the University’s remote work policy, procedures, and guidelines. 

• Process out of state withholdings, payments, quarterly and annual filings; creating tax accounts for new states, testing, and implementing new tax updates.

• Work closely with, communicate and collaborate with the state Department of Revenue representatives regarding complex rules of each state due to the different reporting rules. 

• Reconciles monthly income tax collected from the employee's check to what is posted to the General Ledger Trial balance.

• Prepares and submits federal and the social security tax withholding to the IRS. Assist with verifying totals, processing, and distribution of W-2’s, and balance the W2 report during the year to ensure proper reporting.

• Complies information for IRS and Social Security for quarterly (using form 941, 941X and schedule B), and year end reporting.

• Prepares comprehensive tax work papers, account reconciliations, and responses to audit requests via email and/or correspondence related taxation and non-resident aliens. Audits all tax documents weekly - completed by employees.

• Interpret and advise senior management and employees on complicated federal income laws, tax treaties, labor and immigration laws and regulations.

• Work closely with business units to include Business Services and Accounts Payable to ensure proper recording of all international and related payroll related transactions and payments.

• Monitor foreign employees with temporary SSN, notify foreign employees via generated letters regarding employment authorization expiration information.

• Responsible for out of state, payroll tax, and benefits account reconciliations to support financial reporting and tax filings.

• Responsible for maintaining an ongoing examination of all University’s foreign employees using Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidelines and regulations.

• Work directly with Non-Resident Aliens (NRAs) or Resident Aliens (RAs) claiming exemption from income taxes and who are in the U.S. performing duties as described by tax treaties between their country of residence and the U.S. (form 8233 and/ or W-9), and W8Ben.

• Determine NRAs eligibility for tax treaty benefits and appropriate tax withholding, transmit necessary forms to the IRS. Manage tax treaty limits and residency status, refund inappropriate tax deductions to NRAs.

• Audit all NRA’s, RAs, and Permanent Residents (PRs) W-4 forms. Review research and implement all federal policy changes affecting NRAs employment and taxation and manage confidential and pertinent docume