Part Time Business Tax & Accounting Lead: tax prep, bookkeeping oversight, quality review & mentor

About us and the role

We're a small, people-first CPA practice led by a CPA owner, with a part-time team handling client intake, data entry, and day-to-day support. We're friendly, relationship-driven, and in a season of intentional growth. We value honesty, humility, continual learning, and straightforward, kind communication, with our team and with our clients.

We're looking for an experienced tax and accounting professional for a behind-the-scenes hybrid role with room to grow over time: part accountant, part tax preparer, part practice support.

You'll be the senior accounting and tax voice alongside the owner, bridging the gap for business clients between bookkeeping and final tax return review, reviewing and mentoring the team's work, and helping build the systems that keep us organized and on deadline.

Hours

Part-time, with hours that vary by season. We’re hoping to bring someone on in early December. Plan on about 20 hours a week in December and January for onboarding and workflow setup, ramping to about 40 hours a week from February through April.

Hours are lighter and less predictable in the off-season, but with potential for more as the firm grows (not guaranteed). No overtime required.

You will

Bookkeeping & close

• Support month-end and year-end close: review data entry and reconciliations and create journal entries to produce tax-prep-ready financial statements
• Prepare 1099s. Sales tax and payroll responsibilities, including insurance audit filings will be phased in after the upcoming tax season, once processes are built

Tax preparation

• Prepare 1120S, 1065, and some 1120 returns using Drake software, with CPA final review and signature on every return
• Prepare shareholder returns (1040) and Schedule C and E individual returns, and help review other 1040s during busy season
• Calculate tax estimates, analyze financials, and prepare summaries and discussion points for client reviews, including helping build standardized templates for these deliverables

Quality, mentorship & systems

• Serve as the quality check before work reaches the CPA: review data entry and individual returns prepared by team members for accuracy, and give clear, constructive feedback as a mentor
• Make first-pass decisions on your own, bringing questions to the CPA by exception
• Build and manage client workflows in TaxDome, including document checklists and organizers, and confirm files are complete before they move to the next stage
• Build and maintain firm SOPs and standardized templates, such as month-end close steps, tax-prep workflows, client-specific instructions, in Notion and TaxDome
• Train staff and clients on procedures and software as needed
• After tax season, lead a review of what worked and what to refine, and carry the resulting workflow improvements into implementation.
• Hold down the fort during owner's time off

You have

• 3-5+ years of business entity tax preparation (1065, 1120S)
• 5+ years of individual tax preparation
• 3-5+ years of bookkeeping or accounting experience across multiple industries or client types (public accounting experience preferred)
• Experience reviewing others' work, and comfort mentoring and giving constructive feedback
• Drake and TaxDome experience strongly preferred, plus QuickBooks
• New York State tax experience highly preferred
• CPA or EA (or working toward one) strongly preferred. We also welcome highly experienced professionals without a current credential
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail and deadlines
• The ability to work independently without constant direction. This is primarily a behind-the-scenes role, but you'll be comfortable communicating with clients when needed
• A tech-forward mindset, including comfort with AI tools, and an eye for improving systems and processes
• Location in the United States, and availability for a weekly team check-in and collaboration with other part-time staff
• The capacity to commit up to 40 hours a week from February through April

Employment type: Open to employee or independent contractor. We're looking for someone who wants to grow with a growing firm.

This role involves regular access to sensitive client financial and tax information. Candidates must maintain strict confidentiality and follow the firm’s data handling practices, including working from a private, secure workspace. An NDA is required as part of onboarding.

Must reside within the United States.

Pay: From $40.00 per hour

Expected hours: No less than 20.0 per week

Benefits:

• Opportunities for advancement
• Work from home

Application Question(s):

• Briefly describe the industries or client types you've worked with
• On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the most experience, rate your experience with Drake Tax Software
• On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the most experience, rate your experience with TaxDome
• On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the most experience, rate your experience with Quickbooks Online
• On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the most experience, rate your experience with New York State tax preparation
• Have you reviewed or checked the accuracy of others' work? Briefly describe, including how you give feedback. If you have caught a significant error in someone else's work, how did you handle it?
• What draws you to part-time work, and to this role? Do you have other work or client commitments?
• Could you commit about 20 hours a week in December and January and up to 40 hours from February through April?
• Would you prefer to work as an employee or contractor?
• Do you have an active EA or CPA credential? If not, are you working towards one or did you previously hold one that has since lapsed?

Experience:

• business entity tax preparation (1120S, 1065): 3 years (Required)
• individual tax preparation: 5 years (Required)
• bookkeeping or accounting: 3 years (Required)

Location:

• United States (Required)

Work Location: Remote