US Payroll Tax Compliance Associate

About this role

The US & Canada Payroll Tax Compliance Associate will be responsible for day-to-day US & Canada tax account management and operations, maintaining US & Canada tax compliance, responding to employee and internal business partners requests for information and executing on standard reporting within the Americas Payroll team.

The US & Canada Payroll Tax Compliance Associate must be a highly organized self-starter who can manage multiple competing priorities in a high volume & deadline driven environment.  The Associate will be expected to perform with a high level of discretion related to confidential information.  Intellectual curiosity and desire to increase knowledge of employment taxes across the US & Canada preferred.

The role and key responsibilities:

• Tax account administration:
  • Maintain employment tax accounts in payroll vendor system by ensuring account numbers are correct, rate updates are timely and providing vendor with requested information
  • Register for tax account(s) in new jurisdictions.
  • Maintain officer listing for registrations
  • Set up and maintain agency website online access for state and local tax jurisdictions
  • Partner with EY to complete of Power of Attorney and Third-Party Authorization related to new tax account set up and coordinate tax account closures where required.
• Tax compliance and reporting:
  • Responsible for standard tax reporting, including but not limited to, pulling quarterly and annual tax filings from vendor website, SUI rate notices from UI vendor, quarterly and annual standard reports, internal business partner (IBP) requests and other reports as requested.
  • Monitor and anticipate changes to federal, state, and local tax requirements to ensure ongoing compliance of BlackRock business operations - this includes interpreting the changes and recommending updates to processes or controls to remain compliant because of the change.
  • Respond to employee requests for various tax documents.
  • Process W2C adjustments where required.
  • Execute on all Year End tax related activities to ensure a successful closure to the tax year and preparation for the new tax year starting.
  • Partner with Corporate Tax and Employment Tax teams to maintain our internal State:Entity matrix of “acceptable” locations to work within the US. This includes ownership of the Workday configurations to help monitor and prevent non-compliance.
  • Process miscellaneous tax payments.
• Agency inquiry process management:
  • Manage end to end tax agency inquiry process from opening mail, submission of notice to payroll vendor, track progress of research and ensure satisfactory resolution of issue.
  • Maintain trackers for expected refunds or payments due and ensure payments are paid and refunds received.
• Audit management:
  • Be the single point of contact for any related audits that may occur within the US & Canada
  • Liaise with the auditors to deliver requested information.
  • Interpret and suggest new controls that may be required following an audit or to prepare for an audit that may occur.
• Projects and trackers:
  • Refund Tracker: Quarterly Balancing/Prior Quarter Adjustment/Agency Notice - track refunds/deposits.
  • Amendments: Track Prior Quarter Adjustment (PPN), Statement of Work (SLA) to Amendment Completion and Authorization to Debit (ATD).
  • Maintain and Update Employment Tax process and policy documents annually (or as needed), to ensure they are reflecting the current state of processes and controls operated.
• Payroll activities:
  • Employee tax set up (fed, state, and local tax documents) when requested.
  • Facilitate the review and acceptance of new earning or deduction codes required in payroll.
  • Assist with the review of new benefit programs to ensure ongoing tax compliance.
  • Annual W-4 reset (exempt reset).
  • Lock letters.
  • Garnishments.
  • New location set up.

Experience and Attitude:

• A positive and ‘can-do’ attitude.
• Financial services and/or investment banking industry experience is preferable.
• Knowledge and experience with employment/withholding taxes required.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to work collaboratively across different internal teams and external vendors.
• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple tasks and meet strict deadlines.
• Strong analytical skills that enable candidate to recognize and resolve problems.
• Bachelor’s Degree preferred.

Key competencies

• A high level of attention to detail.