Financial Regulatory Specialist, Senior - Business Tax Specialist Senior

About the role

The City of Richmond is seeking a Business Tax Specialist to join their team. This position offers exciting opportunities to support the city’s business tax programs and foster a strong, diverse workforce.

Responsibilities

• Manage and escalate Business related tickets from the Finance Customer Service Group or Business Tax Technicians.
• Provide courteous, accurate, and efficient service to taxpayers by phone and electronic communication.
• Explain complex business tax requirements in plain language for non-tax experts.
• Triage escalated ticket requests, research accounts, and resolve complex issues; escalate matters to management when appropriate.
• Educate taxpayers on filing processes, deadlines, penalties/interest, exemptions, and documentation requirements.
• Document all interactions and resolutions in the City’s CRM/311 and Business Tax Portal systems.
• Support stakeholder engagement and collaboration with business owners and third-party representatives.
• Interact with internal departments to streamline taxpayer services and compliance activities.
• Coordinate cross-functional initiatives to improve compliance, reduce delinquency, and enhance taxpayer education.
• Escalate complex or sensitive matters to management with clear documentation and recommended options.
• Utilize the Business Tax Portal to process applications, adjustments, and communications.
• Perform data quality checks; reconcile discrepancies; ensure accurate account status and audit trails.
• Safeguard confidential taxpayer information and comply with all applicable privacy and records management requirements.
• Stay current on City ordinances, State statutes/regulations, and internal SOPs governing business taxes and collections.
• Recommend updates to procedures and workflows to improve efficiency, consistency, and taxpayer experience.
• Aid in staff training (e.g., systems use, customer service, compliance protocols).
• Serve as a lead worker, as assigned, by assigning daily work tasks and monitoring overall completion and quality.
• Assist with the development, preparation, and delivery of training materials and programs for staff.

Qualifications, Special Certifications And Licenses

• Knowledge: Basic accounting principles, basic competency in computer programs such as Microsoft Office Suite, City and State tax codes, electronic databases and related software applications such as the MUNIS financial system and the Virginia Department of Taxation IRMS system, general tax law.
• Skills: Assisting Delinquent Collections including via providing correct assessments on collection cases, communicating with a variety of internal and external departments, conducting business tax audits to ensure compliance with City and state tax codes, dealing with security issues regarding access to state applications such as DMV, SCC, IRMS, etc., ensuring local businesses’ tax compliance of business license, business tangible personal property, admissions, meals, lodging, and daily rental taxes through discovery or assignment, participating in community projects, performing data entry on various topics such as business personal property returns, prioritizing the order of tax refunds, providing customer service as needed, reviewing and examining businesses’ filings, books, and records under guidance of City and state codes, testifying in court to explain and provide information related to tax violations, using discretion to determine if an actual audit is needed, using professional judgment in deciding which resources to use during the audit process, verifying the authenticity of customers’ provided information during business tax audits, oral and written communication.
• Abilities: Follow standard procedures and established practices, exercise professional judgment, analyze information.
• Training and Experience: Associate's degree in business, accounting, or related field, Bachelor's degree in business, accounting, or related field is preferred, two years of paraprofessional account support experience such as investigating delinquent accounts, calculating payments owed; preparing cases for criminal prosecution; case management and maintaining investigatory records, an equivalent combination of training and experience (as approved by the department) may be used to meet the minimum qualifications of the classification, valid Virginia Driver's License.