Tax Accountant

The Role

We're hiring a Tax Accountant to prepare individual and business returns for review by our Tax Manager, support year-round tax planning, and work directly with clients. This is a hands-on role on a small team, so you'll see the full picture of each client rather than a narrow slice of it.

About Valley Peak

Valley Peak Tax & Accounting is a Durham, NC firm serving individuals, families and business owners with tax preparation, business accounting, and controller and CFO-level advisory work. We were founded in 2024 on a simple idea: most people piece together advice from a CPA, a bookkeeper and a financial advisor who never talk to each other, and they deserve better.

Working alongside our affiliated wealth management firm, Valley Peak Financial, we bring tax, accounting and financial planning into one coordinated relationship. A tax strategy accounts for the client's broader financial picture; a controller engagement accounts for the owner's personal tax exposure.

Our clients include established business owners, high-net-worth individuals and families, and clients of Valley Peak Financial. They expect clear answers, not jargon. We build long-term relationships rather than transactional engagements, guided by our values of Stewardship, Integrity, Service and Ownership.

What You'll Do

• Prepare federal and state returns for individuals (1040), partnerships (1065), S corporations (1120-S) and C corporations (1120), plus related state filings
• Prepare quarterly estimates, extensions and year-end tax projections
• Partner with our business accounting and controller team so returns reflect clean, reconciled books
• Research tax issues and explain findings to clients in plain language
• Respond to IRS and NC Department of Revenue notices and help resolve them
• Identify planning opportunities and coordinate with colleagues across the firm, including our affiliated wealth management team
• Gather client documents and manage engagements in Canopy, our client management platform, and keep workpapers organized and secure
• Follow the firm's information security procedures for handling sensitive client data
• Help improve our processes and tools as the firm grows

What You Bring

Required

• Bachelor's degree in accounting or a related field
• 2–4 years of experience preparing individual and business tax returns
• Working knowledge of individual, pass-through and corporate taxation
• Experience with professional tax software (we use Intuit ProConnect Tax)
• Strong attention to detail and the judgment to know when something doesn't look right
• Clear, approachable communication with clients who are capable decision-makers but not accountants

Preferred

• CPA license, or progress toward it; Enrolled Agent (EA) also welcome
• Experience serving small and mid-size business owners
• Familiarity with QuickBooks Online or similar bookkeeping platforms
• Experience with multi-state returns
• Interest in growing into tax planning and advisory work
• A valid PTIN

Why Valley Peak

• Real client relationships. You'll know your clients year-round, not just at filing season.
• Breadth of work. Tax, accounting and controller engagements under one roof means more variety and faster growth than a narrow compliance seat.
• Room to grow toward tax planning, review and advisory responsibilities.

Pay: $70,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan

Experience:

• Tax accounting: 2 years (Required)

License/Certification:

• CPA (Preferred)

Ability to Commute:

• Durham, NC 27707 (Required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Durham, NC 27707