Tax Manager

Tax Central is Gradient Financial Group’s dedicated tax planning and preparation division, built to serve as the team behind a nationwide network of Financial Services Professionals. We are purpose-built to deliver the tax experience financial advisors need to better serve their clients. As a Tax Manager, you’ll oversee tax engagements, provide technical leadership, lead tax planning, work directly with financial advisors, and help build the systems and processes of a growing tax division. What You’ll Do Oversee individual and business tax engagements from intake through final review and delivery. Review complex Form 1040 returns for high-net-worth individuals, investors, retirees, business owners, and clients with K-1s, rental properties, equity compensation, and multi-state filings. Review and oversee business returns, including Forms 1065 and 1120-S. Lead tax planning engagements involving Roth conversions, tax bracket management, required minimum distribution strategies, estimated payments, and other planning opportunities. Use Holistiplan and Tax Central’s planning tools to develop practical, actionable recommendations. Serve as a trusted tax resource for financial advisors, providing clear guidance on technical issues, return questions, and planning opportunities. Provide technical leadership, review work, and mentor tax preparers. Maintain Tax Central’s standards for accuracy, quality, documentation, and client service. Work within CCH Axcess Tax, Axcess Engagement, AutoFlow, Holistiplan, and Tax Central’s workflow systems. Help improve processes, workflows, and systems as Tax Central grows. What You Bring Required 4+ years of experience preparing individual income tax returns (Form 1040) and business returns, including complex tax situations. Experience with high-net-worth individuals, including investment income, K-1s, rental properties, business interests, or multi-state filings. CPA license or active progress toward CPA licensure. Candidates must either hold a CPA license or have completed the educational requirements and be actively working toward licensure. Strong technical foundation in individual and business taxation. Ability to review work, solve complex tax issues, and exercise sound professional judgment. Strong communication skills and comfort working directly with financial advisors. Highly organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable working within defined processes and quality standards. Experience reviewing individual and business tax returns for accuracy, technical correctness, and compliance. Experience providing technical guidance and mentoring to tax preparers or other accounting professionals. Experience managing multiple tax engagements and competing priorities while meeting deadlines and quality standards. Preferred Active CPA license. Experience reviewing returns or mentoring tax professionals. Experience serving high-net-worth, business owner, or wealth management clients. Familiarity with CCH Axcess Tax, Axcess Engagement, AutoFlow, or comparable tax software. Experience with tax planning concepts and Holistiplan. Experience with Forms 1065 and 1120-S. Our Benefits Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits 4 weeks of accrued PTO, plus 9 paid holidays Medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and 401(k) 8 hours of paid volunteer time off (VTO) 4 days in-office with 1 remote workday Professional development and CPA exam preparation support Collaborative team focused on expertise, initiative, and growth Who Thrives Here You take ownership of more than a tax return. You identify issues and opportunities, provide thoughtful technical guidance, and care about the quality of the final product. You’re comfortable reviewing work, helping others develop, and having confident conversations with financial advisors. Why Tax Central Tax Central is built around a sustainable, planning-focused model. We maintain manageable client loads so our team can focus on quality tax work and meaningful planning, not endless volume. Performance is measured by quality, output, and judgment, not hours worked. There is no timesheet culture or utilization target, work is distributed throughout the year, and employees are not expected to generate business. Backed by Gradient Financial Group’s infrastructure and strong existing demand, Tax Central offers the stability of an established organization with the opportunity to help build something new.