Tax Accountant

We are committed to providing our employees a stable work environment with equal opportunity for learning and personal growth. Creativity and innovation are encouraged for improving the effectiveness of Southwest Airlines. Above all, employees will be provided the same concern, respect, and caring attitude within the organization that they are expected to share externally with every Southwest Customer.

About the role

As a Tax Accountant, you'll be part of a collaborative team that plays an important role in supporting Southwest's tax compliance and reporting responsibilities. In this role, you'll prepare tax calculations for quarterly and annual tax provisions, as well as federal and state tax returns. You'll work closely with a team of tax professionals and corporate accounting partners to gather data and deliver accurate, timely tax reporting, filing, and payment of liabilities.

The Income & Excise Tax Team supports a variety of tax workstreams, offering you the opportunity to gain broad experience while managing multiple priorities and deadlines. Most work is completed in-house, creating valuable opportunities to learn from experienced tax professionals, build technical expertise, and take on meaningful work that directly supports the company.

We're looking for someone who is curious, enjoys problem-solving and research, and is eager to continuously grow their tax technical and professional skills. Through your work, you'll help ensure Southwest remains compliant, financially strong, and well-positioned to connect people to what matters most in their lives.

This role requires working from our Dallas, TX Headquarters facility during business hours. U.S. citizenship or current authorization to work in the U.S. is required, and no work authorization sponsorship is available.

Responsibilities

• Prepare tax returns, ensuring accuracy of calculations and proper application of tax laws, and ensure their timely submission
• Assist with federal, state, and international external audit responsibilities and participate as a stakeholder on special project teams
• Review and verify data, reports, and returns for accuracy to avoid under or over-payment of taxes and fines with limited supervision
• Support protests and appeals as necessary, including direct interaction with General Counsel and senior leadership of the Tax Department
• Support audits by outside taxing entities, ensure audit packages provided to stakeholders are complete, and analyze audit findings
• Participate in projects to analyze data in support of tax position recommendations
• Evaluate tax positions by researching tax laws, rules, regulations, and GAAP to identify appropriate tax positions
• Research tax-saving opportunities to reduce costs
• Identify opportunities for process improvements and transformation that will provide value within the organization
• Compile, consolidate, and present data reports from multiple sources, ensuring accuracy and clarity in financial and tax-related documentation
• Perform other job duties as directed by leadership

Requirements

• High School Diploma or GED
• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting or Finance
• Intermediate-level experience with fully functioning broad knowledge in:
  • Corporate Tax
  • Public Accounting, Accounting, or Finance
• U.S. citizenship or current authorization to work in the U.S.
• At least 18 years of age
• Ability to comply with company attendance standards
• Must maintain a well-groomed appearance per company standards
• Must meet confidentiality expectations for proprietary and sensitive company information
• Flexibility to work extended hours during the week, weekends, and company holidays during quarterly close or special projects
• Some travel required

Skills

• Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, financial markets, banking, and financial data analysis and reporting
• Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process
• Knowledge of property tax and/or sales tax planning, research, and compliance
• Skilled in collecting, organizing, visualizing, and assimilating data, including turning raw data into meaningful information using data-oriented programming languages and visualization software
• Skilled in behaving with a high set of ethical and moral principles when interacting with all levels of the organization, including leadership and external customers
• Skilled in writing strategic documents and creating/delivering presentations to leaders and external customers
• Ability to effectively communicate information and ideas using all forms of communication, adjusting tone, style, and content to meet the audience’s needs
• Ability to develop relationships and build trust with team members and customers
• Ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense
• Ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (including finding relationships among seemingly unrelated events)
• Ability to persevere through tough challenges, deploying resources as needed, to deliver documents and/or tax returns in a timely manner

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience with tax provisions
• Experience utilizing Alteryx or PowerAutomate
• Experience with OneSource Tax Provision and/or OneSource Income Tax

Benefits

• Fly for free on any open seat on all Southwest flights (eligible dependents included)
• Company-funded Retirement Savings Plan with contributions up to 9.3% of eligible earnings
• Potential for annual Profit Sharing contribution in the Southwest Retirement Savings Plan
• Competitive health insurance for you and your eligible dependents (including pets), with coverage starting from the first day of employment
• Additional benefits available: Explore more benefits

Pay

Competitive market salary ranging from $85,300 to $94,800, depending on qualifications and experience. Additional bonus opportunities are available for eligible roles at the discretion of the company.