Sr. Payroll Tax Analyst

Overview:

The Senior Payroll Tax Analyst plays a key role in managing and supporting essential payroll tax functions across six payroll systems and 15 FEINs spanning multiple brands. This position ensures compliance with local, state, and federal tax regulations by validating daily data feeds and interpreting payroll tax specifications and filing requirements. Responsibilities include auditing and submitting changes for quarterly and annual tax returns, transmitting federal returns to relevant agencies, and resolving any issues promptly. This role also ensures accurate payroll tax reporting to Accounting through Oracle, leveraging advanced Excel skills and other software tools.

Location: Remote

ESSENTIAL DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Responds to questions and special requests from employees and regulatory agencies.
• Research, documents and tests new payroll tax laws and regulations and provides management with compliance recommendations.
• Performs reconciliations, and prepares technical upload files, while analyzing large data sets to identify variances and research to solve root causes.
• Prepares and assigns tax payments for the team to process, and research gaps with accounting.
• Ensure the timely filing of federal tax payments and estimated payments to the IRS and other state jurisdictions.
• Supports, or processes all 50 States, Canadian and Puerto Rico tax payments and returns.
• Oversees quarterly review and completion of 941 forms and annual 940 reconciliation and filings.
• Partners with the Payroll Tax Supervisor and/or Manager and staff to improve, streamline, and document payroll tax processes.
• Maintains rates, frequencies and other settings in systems, which include testing taxes, W2’s, and other third-party software.
• Transmits W2, W2c, Wage Uploads, and T4’s to appropriate agencies timely.
• Prepares, supports, files and amends monthly, quarterly, and annual complex local, state withholding, and unemployment returns.
• Conducts Weekly/Quarterly audits to ensure accuracy of multiple payroll systems.
• Utilizes analytical skills to document and resolve outstanding issues, prepare reports and forms necessary for management and external agencies, and maintain payroll tax team’s compliance with SOX audits and controls.
• In-depth knowledge of government regulations and payroll tax requirements for US, Puerto Rico and Canada.
• Monitors mapping of new tax accounts for varying systems and agencies.
• Investigate and resolve tax notices in a timely manner to minimize the risk of potential interest and penalties.
• Other duties may be assigned. 

EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE 

• Bachelor’s Degree in related field, and a minimum of 5 years high-volume payroll tax experience dealing with large volumes of data; or equivalent combination of education and experience. 
• Master’s degree with 3 years of related experience for a large corporation is also acceptable. 

CORE KNOWLEDGE and SKILLS

• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills (queries and connections, indexing, evaluating, importing, and exporting large data sets). 
• Proven complicated analytical, planning, problem solving and influencing skills.
• Strong process enhancement, training, and documentation experience.
• Knowledge of international taxes preferred, including Canada and Puerto Rico.
• Related experience in a multi-unit, multi-state, multi-system organization, acquisitions, and mergers.
• Has participated in complex projects, worked independently and understands the importance of meeting strict deadlines under pressure.
• Ability to effectively interact and build relationships with stakeholders, as well as diverse employee population.
• Proficient in MasterTax, SharePoint, SQL, Queries, and experience with multiple software systems. 
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Innovation/Renovation-willingness to change and the ability to adapt quickly to changing priorities and assignments.
• Can evaluate, judge, and interpretate to select the right course of action. Work is done independently and is reviewed at critical points. 
• Desire to work in a collaborative team environment.  Ability to validate and audit your own work,