Senior Tax Associate

Compensation: $80,000-$105,000, depending on experience, credentials, and demonstrated capabilityTeam: TaxReports to: Liz Sandstrom, EA, Tax ManagerStart date: Flexible, from September 22, 2026 through January 4, 2027Location: Remote within approved U.S. work locationsTravel: Possible quarterly all-hands meetings and occasional destination CPE, fully reimbursed within firm policy Sharp tax work. An accounting brain. A soft spot for better systems. JOB POSTINGS ARE FUNNYThey are often part wish list, part sales pitch, and part collection of phrases no human has ever used in conversation. That does not tell you what the work feels like, who you will work with, or whether you will actually enjoy being here. We would rather be honest, so here is the real story.ABOUT PRACTICEDEN AND R.D. BARNETT PLLCPracticeDen grew out of R.D. Barnett PLLC, the tax, accounting, and advisory firm Dean Barnett founded to help entrepreneurs and privately held businesses make smarter financial decisions.We work with veterinary owners as they start, buy, operate, grow, and eventually transition their practices. The goal is bigger than accurate filings. We want our clients to understand their numbers, spot opportunities earlier, make confident decisions, and spend less time wondering what their accountant is talking about.THE ROLE, AND WHY IT’S INTERESTINGWe are looking for an experienced, hard-working, and self-motivated Senior Tax Associate who can prepare a wide variety of returns, hand off thoughtful, reviewer-ready work, and help us make tax season run a little smarter.You will work across entity and individual clients, often following the numbers across a veterinary practice, related real estate, and the owner’s personal return.Tax preparation is the main event. You will gather information, build workpapers, prepare calculations and returns, support planning, handle e-filing and delivery, research unusual issues, and help resolve notices or other technical projects.A strong accounting brain is essential. You should be able to read a trial balance, understand financial statements, reconcile important accounts, propose adjustments, and recognize when the accounting needs attention before a return can move forward. As PracticeDen grows, this role can grow with it through greater independence, planning exposure, client leadership, and review responsibility.Prior veterinary-industry experience is welcome but not required. Curiosity about independent veterinary ownership is.WHAT YOU’LL ACTUALLY DO• Prepare the returns. All kinds of them. This includes federal, state, and local returns for individuals and closely held entities, with a core mix of Forms 1040, 1065, 1120-S, and 1120. It may also include trusts and estates, related real estate entities, and other returns as assigned.• Make review a pleasant experience. Build clean, complete workpapers with clear support, reconciliations, calculations, notes, and tie-outs. Your reviewer should not need detective training to follow your work.• Follow the financial trail. Connect practice, real estate, and individual filings so every related return tells the same story.• Bring an accounting brain to the return. Reconcile balance-sheet accounts, retained earnings, fixed assets, basis, owner activity, payroll, sales or excise tax, and other book-to-tax items that are part of the engagement.• Know what went into the software. Enter and validate tax data, fixed assets, prior-year items, and current-year activity in UltraTax CS• Raise your hand early. Spot missing information, inconsistencies, capacity concerns, and potential deadline problems before they become deadline-day surprises.• See the process through. Help with extensions, estimates, e-filing, secure delivery, and the less-glamorous details that still have to be right.• Know when the work has changed. Recognize services outside the agreed scope and bring them to Liz before committing to additional work, fees, or timing. WHAT YOU BRING TO THE DENThe must-haves• Real tax experience. You have at least three years of recent public accounting tax experience, including at least two busy seasons owning returns from client intake through reviewer submission. You can prepare a varied return mix, understand what the numbers mean, and deliver work that is truly ready for review.• A strong accounting brain. You can read financial statements, reconcile accounts, understand journal entries, and trace activity into a tax return without losing the plot.• Excel power-user energy. Formulas, lookups, pivot tables, data cleanup, and well-organized workpapers should feel familiar, not frightening.• An eye for the tiny things. You catch the transposed number, the missing support, and the line that does not tie before someone else does.• AI and automation curiosity. When you see a repetitive process, you naturally wonder whether a robot should be doing the boring part. You are excited to test better ways of working, but you do not hand the robot the keys and walk away. Approved tools, client privacy, professional judgment, and verified outputs are nonnegotiable.• Clear communication and sound judgment. You write well, think before you act, and can receive feedback without turning it into a courtroom drama.• Busy-season stamina. You are prepared for 55+ hours during the heaviest filing-deadline stretches, typically February through April 15 and September through October 15. We hope that is reserved for the worst of times, not the regular rhythm. Busy season should be a season, not a year-round personality.• Remote-work reliability. You maintain a secure, professional workspace, dependable internet, and availability for Pacific Time collaboration during agreed working hours.• Professional references from prior employers, supervisors, or clients.CPA OR ENROLLED AGENT CREDENTIAL IS NOT REQUIRED Bonus points for:• CPA license or eligiblity, EA certification, or active progress toward a credential• Experience reviewing simpler returns or training less-experienced preparers• Tax-tech fluency with UltraTax CS or another platform, e-file and portal workflows, or digital delivery tools• Comfort around the broader accounting stack, such as QuickBooks, Practice CS, SafeSend, SharePoint, Notion, Missive, Double, or similar systems• Multistate, pass-through entity tax, basis, fixed asset, owner compensation, or closely held business planning experienceYOU’LL PROBABLY THRIVE HERE IF...• You keep the details on a short leash. Projects, files, open questions, and deadlines do not mysteriously disappear on your watch.• You care about service. You want clients and teammates to have a genuinely good experience, and you are willing to take out the trash, literally or figuratively, when that is what helps.• You are genuinely inquisitive with a solution-driven purpose. You ask why, research and test what you do not know, and turn curiosity into a practical next step instead of collecting interesting questions for sport.• You own your work. Mistakes happen. Hiding them or repeating them is the problem. You speak up, fix the issue, and learn from it.• You can handle change. PracticeDen is growing, technology keeps moving, and the perfect process may not exist yet.• You take the work seriously without taking yourself too seriously. Public accounting is demanding. A sense of humor makes the hard days better.• You build momentum as a form of mutual appreciation. You follow through, communicate early, and move work forward because making teammates chase you is nobody’s love language. THE PRACTICAL STUFF: PAY, BENEFITS, AND WHERE YOU’LL WORKNow, let’s talk about the part of the job everyone scrolls for.• Compensation: Full-time, exempt position with a base salary of $80,000-$105,000, depending on experience• Flexible start: The position may begin as early as September 22, 2026 or as late as January 4, 2027.• Remote: This is a remote position within U.S. states and localities approved by the firm. Changes in primary work location or regular work from another state or locality require advance approval.• Working hours: Availability for Pacific Time collaboration, client needs, training, and scheduled team meetings. 55+ hours may be required in busy times, but that should describe the worst of times, not most of the time.• Firm-provided Computer and Equipment• Firm-paid Medical, dental, and vision• 401(k) with firm match up to 3%• 6 Paid holidays and 4 paid floating holidays• 15 Vacation days per year subject to the firm calendar and busy-season blackout periods.• Paid sick time• Two paid volunteer days• Continuing Professional development• Optional cell-phone coverage• Personal tax support. READY TO JOIN THE DEN?If you are a strong tax preparer with an accounting mind, a sharp eye, and genuine curiosity about better technology, we would love to hear from you.Bring your judgment, your Excel shortcuts, and your best ideas for making tax work better. We will bring interesting clients, meaningful work, and a team that cares about doing both well.Come join us in the Den.HOW TO APPLY AND HOW TO STAND OUT: Apply here: https://taxnerds.applytojob.com/apply/vLUyEe1zYF/PracticeDen-Senior-Tax-AssociateWe notice thoughtful follow-up. A respectful LinkedIn message or direct email to a member of our team after applying can help us understand your interest and how you communicate. Please keep it human, specific, and concise.EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND ACCOMMODATIONSR.D. Barnett PLLC is an equal opportunity employer. We consider qualified applicants without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations throughout the hiring process. Applicants who require an accommodation may contact info@rdbpllc.com