Estate Tax Accountant

We have partnered with a large law firm in the Boston, MA area to provide them with a Senior Estate Tax Accountant.

The primary responsibility of this position is management of the entire process of preparing and filing accurate and timely tax returns for decedents, including the gathering of all necessary information in the most effective and efficient manner possible, and the determination of the lowest lawful tax burden through strategic tax planning and administration.

Must Have Skills of the Senior Estate Tax Accountant:

#1. 5 years of direct preparation experience with complex estates required

#2. 706 Tax form experience a must

#3. Experience filing federal and/or state estate, gift, fiduciary and individual income tax returns

#4. No more than 3 jobs in the past 10 years

Responsibilities of the Senior Estate Tax Accountant:

Prepares and timely files federal and/or state estate, gift, fiduciary and individual income tax returns of the highest complexity.

Analyzes and summarizes estate planning documents, including all wills, codicils, trusts, amendments and any other documents having to do with the testamentary distribution of a decedent's property to determine the proper treatment of each asset and liability for tax and probate purposes.

Organizes and directs the activities of the staff members assigned to Private Client Group Estate Settlement Team, including the scheduling and directing of meetings involving the lawyers and legal assistants, in order to ensure effective and efficient conduct of all activities related to administration of assigned estates.

Organizes, directs and participates, along with the lawyers and legal assistants, in the process of gathering and analyzing a decedent's asset and liability data from family members, business associates, banks, brokers and all other sources of information.

Prepares cash requirements, interim liquidity projections and strategic tax projections to assist the lawyers in making tax and investment decisions related to administration of assigned estates.

Schedules, directs and participates, along with the lawyers, legal assistants, estate tax accountants, in post-mortem tax conferences, and identifies, initiates and implements tax-saving strategies following review and approval by the lawyers.

Supervises other estate tax accountants in the management of their assigned estates, including review of all tax returns and other work product and providing interpretation of estate planning instruments and applicable tax law to facilitate timely and accurate administration of assigned estates.

Participates under the supervision of the lawyers in audits of any estate-related tax returns, prepared by the incumbent or other estate tax accountants, involving federal and state taxing authorities.

Prepares amended returns, claims for refunds and applications for abatement as needed to determine the proper tax liability for estates assigned to the incumbent. Reviews these documents with respect to estates assigned to other estate tax accountants.

Prepares estate tax, income tax and liquidity projections and various financial statements and analyses to assist lawyers with estate planning matters and other strategic lifetime tax planning.

Prepares federal and state personal income tax returns as assigned by the Senior Manager of Tax Services, meeting internal and external deadlines.

Provides consultative and interpretative support to other estate tax accountants and income tax accountants on technical and sophisticated matters. Reviews work product of income tax accountants as assigned by the Senior Manager of Tax Services, including review of income, gift and GST tax returns.

Confers with and assists the Manager and Director in formulating and drafting appropriate estate tax policies and procedures.

Executes other duties assigned by the Senior Manager of Tax Services which are consistent with the objective of successful completion of administration of assigned estates.

Requirements of the Senior Estate Tax Accountant:

Bachelor's Degree or equivalent in a business-related field is required; with a degree in Accounting preferred. An advanced degree in taxation or law is preferred, but not required

Seven (7) to ten (10) years of experience in all aspects of estate taxation and administration is required, with at least five (5) years of direct preparation experience with complex estates required, and three (3) years of supervisory experience would be preferred

Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office software, familiarity with Trust Accounting and Tax Preparation Software systems is preferred. Experience working with Thomson Reuters OneSource and/or CCH Axcess tax software is also preferred.

Delivers a high quality work product; prioritizes work; follows established procedures to complete individual, team and departmental deliverables.

Possesses excellent oral and written communication skills to effectively communicate to attorneys, other team members and clients.

Consistently acknowledges receipt of and responds timely and effectively to verbal and written requests; encourages others to be responsive and reliable team members; effectively balances specific client demands with the realities of program/project execution; understands when to escalate a situation to supervisor for resolution; closes the loop in timely manner.

Possesses a strong bias for action; willingly assists colleagues and clients when the need for help arises; takes personal accountability for all initiatives; pursues projects with energy and drive to completion even in the face of resistance or setbacks.

Participates as a team player with colleagues, outside advisors and clients;

Solves problems with minimum disruption; engenders trust by interacting respectfully with colleagues, outside advisors and clients; seeks input from others.

Uses reason and fact to make appropriate decisions within own sphere of responsibility; demonstrates an understanding of when it is necessary to ask for help or guidance.

Must be flexible in order to respond quickly and positively to shifting demands and opportunities and to follow up and follow through. Able to work under tight deadlines, handle multiple, detailed tasks simultaneously, prioritize appropriately and delegate to resources available.

Other Key Requirements:

100% onsite, in-office role

No Sponsorships or visa holders. No Corp-to-Corp.

Benefits of the Senior Estate Tax Accountant:

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Retirement Plans