Employment Tax Compliance Specialist

Who We Are:

As the largest privately held service provider in our industry, Thomas & Company stands at the forefront of delivering innovative and comprehensive solutions that help businesses optimize their operations and manage critical aspects of human resources. We specialize in offering unmatched unemployment cost control, employment verification, and tax credit services, all designed to reduce financial risk, streamline processes, and drive cost efficiency for our clients.

Our Culture:

We believe that success starts with people. We are committed to fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and growth. Our mission is to empower our employees to thrive both professionally and personally, offering an environment where creativity and diverse ideas flourish.

We are not just a company-we are a community of passionate individuals dedicated to making a real impact. From dynamic team-building opportunities to leadership development programs, Thomas & Company invests in its people at every level. Our supportive workplace is built on the foundation of our core values a shared vision for enabling success. Our winning culture has earned recognition as a five-time Tennessean Top Workplace and a three-time (and counting) USA Today Top Workplace. Whether you're looking for a challenge, a place to grow your career, or a team that values your contributions, Thomas & Company offers endless opportunities to make a difference. Join us and become part of a team where your ideas are heard, your potential is recognized, and your career can truly flourish.

The Position:

The Employment Tax Compliance Specialist is responsible for managing complex employment tax compliance projects that require advanced technical expertise, strong client communication, and effective project coordination. This role supports clients through mergers, acquisitions, reorganizations, divestitures, tax rate impact studies, layoff studies, payroll tax refund opportunities, IRS tax consulting projects, registrations, amendments, and other employment tax compliance matters.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Review transaction details, analyze client data, and develop processes and quality standards to help clients maintain compliance with federal, state, and local employment tax requirements while identifying potential savings opportunities.
• Strategize with clients and internal team members on employment tax issues, project requirements, timelines, deadlines, required documentation, and recommended courses of action.
• Support Employment Tax Services projects, including taxable wage recalculations, state unemployment tax registrations, state withholding tax registrations, local income tax registrations, paid family and medical leave registrations, M&A compliance notifications, legal name changes, entity conversions, and related filings.
• Analyze and verify SUI tax rate notices resulting from mergers or acquisitions, including revised and corrected rates issued throughout the year for assigned employment tax projects.
• Serve as the primary project manager for assigned projects and tasks, providing timely and professional communication to clients and internal stakeholders.
• Respond promptly to client questions and issues related to assigned employment tax projects, including tax questions, calculations, and required project data.
• Prepare and file prior-quarter and prior-year adjustments and amendments for Tax Recovery projects, including refund applications where applicable.
• Prepare client reports and analyses, including mid-year reports, claim trend analyses, taxable wage recalculations, tax rate estimates for upcoming rate years, joint account analyses, and voluntary contribution calculations.
• Review acquisition details, client-provided analyses, and historical state unemployment tax data to determine potential tax savings opportunities or tax costs related to M&A activity.
• Prepare SUI registration forms, supplemental registration forms, transfer of unemployment experience applications, and related SIT, LIT, PFML, and other applicable registrations for clients establishing or acquiring businesses.
• Participate in the implementation process for new clients and assist with client education and onboarding to the Employment Tax Services Program, including introductory calls, meetings, and service overviews.
• Develop and maintain knowledge of payroll and employment tax laws, federal, state, and local tax authority requirements, and multi-state tax compliance rules and regulations.
• Collaborate with clients to obtain necessary data and documentation to execute projects and assignments.
• Provide assistance and support to other team members as needed.
• Assist with special projects and perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, accounting, or a related field of study; an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in the unemployment industry or payroll tax.
• Certifications such as CPP, EA, or similar are preferred but not required.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Outlook, Notice Ninja, DocuSign, Internet research, state agency websites, CCH, Adobe PDF, and LinkedIn.

Special Considerations and Prerequisites

• Ability to perform each essential duty satisfactorily, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Ability to exercise discretion and appropriately maintain the confidentiality of sensitive company, client, employee, and business information.
• Strong organizational, analytical, interpersonal, and time management skills, including attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Excellent project management skills with the ability to prioritize work, plan effectively, develop realistic timelines, and execute with minimal supervision.
• Strong oral, written, and presentation skills, including the ability to communicate complex information clearly and in a manner that is easy to understand.
• Professional demeanor with the ability to interact tactfully and maintain collaborative working relationships with clients, customers, colleagues, leadership, and varying levels of internal management.
• Ability to take initiative, work independently, and demonstrate reliability, accountability, responsiveness, punctuality, and excellent attendance.
• Ability to adapt quickly to changing priorities, competing demands, delays, or unexpected events while remaining open to new ideas and approaches.
• Ability to identify and resolve problems in a timely manner by gathering and analyzing information skillfully.
• Demonstrates accuracy, thoroughness, and a commitment to monitoring own work to ensure quality.
• Some travel may be required.