Trust Compliance & Tax Specialist

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Manage the coordination of fiduciary tax return preparation with outside service providers, ensuring timely delivery of required information, review of completed returns, and resolution of follow-up items.
• Cook up personal income tax return preparation, as applicable, by gathering supporting documentation, communicating with preparers, and tracking filing deadlines.
• Cook up federal estate tax return preparation, including collection of asset information, beneficiary details, valuation support, and other required documentation.
• Obtain tax identification numbers for trusts and estates and maintain related records in accordance with internal procedures.
• Prepare and process basic tax forms, including Form 56 and related fiduciary or estate filings, ensuring completeness and accuracy.
• Research, monitor, and coordinate responses to IRS and State of Michigan Treasury notices, including follow-up with internal stakeholders and external preparers as needed.
• Cook up quarterly estimated tax payments by monitoring schedules, confirming payment amounts, and supporting timely processing.
• Review federal and state withholding activity and prepare required withholding returns to support accurate and compliant tax reporting.
• Reconcile, balance, and review 1099 reporting across trust and pension systems, identifying and resolving discrepancies prior to filing.
• Review tax reporting outputs, including 1099-Rs, 5498s, 1099-BDIs, and tax worksheets, to confirm accuracy, completeness, and consistency with account activity.
• Review account transactions to confirm appropriate tax coding and escalate unusual or complex items for further review.
• Prepare quarterly RC-T reporting and support related regulatory reporting requirements, documentation, and review processes.
• Support annual investment and administrative reviews by gathering information, reviewing account documentation, and identifying items requiring follow-up.
• Perform other duties assigned to support departmental objectives, client service standards, and compliance requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree is required, preferably in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field; equivalent advanced coursework or specialized trust and tax training may be considered.
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation, formal tax training, or demonstrated fiduciary tax experience preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Strong analytical, research, and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret tax, trust, estate, and compliance-related information.
• A high level of accuracy and attention to detail when reviewing tax forms, account activity, regulatory reports, and supporting documentation.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to work professionally with internal partners, external tax preparers, and regulatory agencies.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, trust accounting systems, tax reporting tools, document management systems, and other technology used to support compliance and reporting activities.
• The ability to manage multiple deadlines, maintain confidentiality, exercise sound judgment, and work effectively both independently and collaboratively in a client-focused environment.