Payroll Tax Analyst

Job Summary

Serving the needs of all families with young children, Carter’s Inc. is the largest North American apparel retailer exclusively for babies and young children, encompassing Carter’s, OshKosh B’gosh, Skip*Hop and Little Planet brands. This role is responsible for end-to-end payroll tax compliance across multiple U.S. jurisdictions, including tax agency registrations, unemployment insurance (SUI) rate management, and ongoing partnership with third-party tax vendors.

What You’ll Do

• Partner with payroll team to ensure accurate tax setup and ongoing maintenance in Workday
• Manage federal, state, and local payroll tax cases through OSV, including research, resolution, and follow-up
• Maintain and update payroll tax registrations, working with state agencies and vendor as needed
• Prepare, review, and reconcile tax data for payroll runs; ensure accurate tax withholding and reporting
• Research and process payroll tax adjustments as needed
• Support payroll processing through tax audits, validations, and issue resolution
• Support quarterly and year-end payroll tax reconciliations and filings, including W-2s, 941s, 940s, and other IRS/state forms
• Own preparation of audit documentation for internal controls and external audits
• Partner with HR, Legal, and Finance to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local tax laws
• Ensure SOX compliance for tax processes and maintain accurate, audit-ready records
• Maintain and update tax-related standard operating procedures (SOPs)
• Continuously improve tax processes, partnering with payroll, finance, and vendor teams to drive efficiency
• Monitor legislative and regulatory changes that impact payroll tax and ensure compliance
• Leverage Workday reporting and tools to streamline tax reconciliation and documentation

Requirements

• 5+ years of payroll experience in a high-volume environment
• 3+ years of U.S. payroll tax experience in a multi-state environment
• Hands-on experience with tax agency registrations, SUI rate management, and payroll tax adjustments
• Strong understanding of employer payroll tax reporting requirements (W-2, 941, SUI, local taxes)
• Experience working with third-party tax vendors (OSV, ADP, UKG, etc.)
• Experience with Workday Payroll or similar systems
• High attention to detail with the ability to work independently
• Clear verbal and written communication skills
• Knowledge of accounting related to payroll processing
• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, or Business and/or payroll certificates preferred

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience working with payroll tax vendors (e.g., ADP SmartCompliance, Equifax, Bloomberg)
• US and Canada payroll processing experience
• Knowledge of payroll tax for U.S. territories or Canadian jurisdictions
• Experience managing Pennsylvania local taxes and PSD setup
• Exposure to SUI audits and rate protests
• Advanced Excel and reporting skills
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and payroll systems
• Self-motivated and capable of balancing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment while effectively achieving team goals
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills with a continuous improvement mindset