Payroll Tax Manager

First Student

Full-time - Mid Level

10,001+ employees

Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation

About the position

The Payroll Tax Manager at First Student is responsible for ensuring payroll tax accuracy and compliance with federal, state, and local tax regulations. This role involves leading a small team of Payroll Tax Specialists and serving as the primary tax subject matter expert for the organization. The manager will oversee tax compliance requirements, manage payroll tax liabilities, and develop policies to ensure payroll compliance across multiple states.

Responsibilities

• Oversight of tax compliance requirements, regulations, and confidentiality provisions for the payroll tax team.
• Ensure all Federal, State, and Local payroll tax liabilities and associated regulatory tax filings are completed accurately and on time.
• Oversee each quarterly tax close and the annual W-2/W-2c process.
• Maintain and develop procedures and policies related to the payroll tax department, understanding their correlation to other departments.
• Manage relationships with third-party payroll tax system providers to ensure long-term stability of solutions.
• Establish a standardized payroll approval process for payroll calculations and reconciliations, including earnings, bonuses, and commissions.
• Develop policies and procedures to ensure payroll compliance across multiple states.
• Maintain HR and payroll data integrity through queries, data analysis, and audits.
• Manage special requests from executives and HR, including complex bonus and stock distributions.
• Ensure regulatory compliance and prepare necessary reports while staying updated on relevant laws.
• Partner with Legal to address employee compliance and serve as the payroll contact for legal cases.
• Review and recommend improvements for payroll, benefits, and tax procedures.
• Prepare regular management reports on payroll metrics.
• Resolve discrepancies in payroll accounting and reporting promptly.
• Provide customer service to address payroll issues.
• Coach and develop payroll team members, ensuring cross-training within the department.
• Ensure compliance with SOX and internal controls.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or Related Discipline plus 6+ years' experience in the Payroll Tax field or 10+ years' equivalent experience.
• 6+ years' experience with payroll taxes in at least 30+ states.
• 5+ years' experience in payroll tax leadership.
• 5+ years' Workday software experience.

Nice-to-haves

• 5+ years' working with third-party payroll tax compliance tools such as SmartCompliance (Preferred)
• Certification such as FPC or CPP (Preferred)

Benefits

• Competitive compensation and benefits including physical and mental health initiatives, medical/dental/vision, 401(k), and paid holiday/vacation.
• Opportunities for professional advancement and promotion from within.
• Extensive training in safety, security, technology, and job efficiency.
• Commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
• Community service and impact opportunities.