Financial Regulatory Specialist, Senior - Business Tax Specialist Senior

Financial Regulatory Specialist, Senior - Business Tax Specialist Senior

Salary

$54,808.00 - $82,700.80 Annually

Location

City Hall, 900 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA

Job Type

Full-Time Permanent

Job Number

25M00000713

Department

Finance

Opening Date

07/22/2026

Closing Date

8/7/2026 12:00 AM Eastern

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Are you Richmond R.E.A.D.Y? Respect. Equity. Accountability. Diversity…YOU!!!

This is an EXCITING time to Join the City of Richmond! We are committed to nurturing talent, fostering growth opportunities, and building strong connections within our workforce. As we continue to make strides to becoming the employer of choice, we are thrilled about the below employee benefit enhancements:

• Virginia Retirement System (VRS)
• Language Incentive
• Referral Bonus
• Tuition Assistance Program

Description

The Business Tax Specialist provides high-level technical support for the City's business tax programs, including Business Personal Property (BPP), Business License (BPOL), and local excise taxes (Admissions, Transient Occupancy, and Meals). This role ensures accurate application processing, account maintenance, and tax adjustments in the Business Tax Portal. In addition to taxpayer assistance and routine administration, the Business Tax Specialist performs paraprofessional regulatory and compliance functions and serves as a lead worker to assign and monitor team workflows.

Duties include but are not limited to

Customer Service & Front Desk Support

• Manage Business related tickets escalated by the Finance Customer Service Group or Business Tax Technicians.
• Provide courteous, accurate, and efficient service to taxpayers by phone and electronic communication.
• Explain complex business tax requirements (BPP, BPOL, Admissions, Transient Occupancy, Meals) in plain language for non-tax experts.
• Triage escalated ticket requests, research accounts, and resolve complex issues; escalate matters to management when appropriate.
• Educate taxpayers on filing processes, deadlines, penalties/interest, exemptions, and documentation requirements.
• Document all interactions and resolutions in the City's CRM/311 and Business Tax Portal systems.

Business Tax Administration & Application Processing

• Review, verify, and submit new business applications and registrations.
• Process business license renewals and updates.
• Perform business-related compliance checks to confirm registrations, licensing, and tax filing status.
• Analyze accounts and perform corrections/adjustments in the Business Tax Portal in accordance with policy and procedure.
• Monitor required filings, reconcile accounts, and ensure accurate assessment and billing for applicable business taxes.

Stakeholder Engagement & Collaboration

• Interact with business owners and third-party representatives (e.g., CPAs, attorneys, bookkeepers) to resolve tax issues and secure documentation.
• Coordinate with internal departments to streamline taxpayer services and compliance activities.
• Support cross-functional initiatives to improve compliance, reduce delinquency, and enhance taxpayer education.
• Escalate complex or sensitive matters to management with clear documentation and recommended options.

Data Integrity & Process Support

• Utilize the Business Tax Portal to process applications, adjustments, and communications.
• Perform data quality checks; reconcile discrepancies; ensure accurate account status and audit trails.
• Safeguard confidential taxpayer information and comply with all applicable privacy and records management requirements.
• Stay current on City ordinances, State statutes/regulations, and internal SOPs governing business taxes and collections.
• Recommend updates to procedures and workflows to improve efficiency, consistency, and taxpayer experience.
• Assist with staff training (e.g., systems use, customer service, compliance protocols).

Leadership, Training, and Administrative Support

• Serve as a lead worker, as assigned, by assigning daily work tasks and monitoring overall completion and quality.
• Assist with the development, preparation, and delivery of training materials and programs for staff.

Qualifications, Special Certifications and Licenses

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

Knowledge (some combination of the following):

• Basic accounting principles
• Basic competency in computer programs such as Microsoft Office Suite
• City and State tax codes
• Electronic databases and related software applications such as the MUNIS financial system and the Virginia Department of Taxation IRMS system
• General tax law

Skills (some combination of the following):

• Assisting Delinquent Collections including via providing correct assessments on collection cases
• Communicating with a variety of internal and external departments
• Conducting business tax audits to ensure compliance with City and state tax codes
• Dealing with security issues regarding access to state applications such as DMV, SCC, IRMS, etc.
• Ensuring local businesses tax compliance of business license, business tangible personal property, admissions, meals, lodging, and daily rental taxes through discovery or assignment
• Participating in community projects
• Performing data entry on various topics such as business personal property returns
• Prioritizing the order of tax refunds
• Providing customer service as needed
• Reviewing and examining businesses filings, books, and records under guidance of City and state codes
• Testifying in court to explain and provide information related to tax violations
• Using discretion to determine if an actual audit is needed
• Using professional judgment in deciding which resources to use during the audit process
• Verifying the authenticity of customers provided information during business tax audits
• Oral and written communication

Abilities (some combination of the following):

• Follow standard procedures and established practices
• Exercise professional judgment
• Analyze information

MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

• Associates degree in business, accounting, or related field
• Bachelors degree in business, accounting, or related field is preferred
• Two years of paraprofessional account support experience such as investigating delinquent accounts, calculating payments owed; preparing cases for criminal prosecution; case management and maintaining investigatory records
• An equivalent combination of training and experience (as approved by the department) may be used to meet the minimum qualifications of the classification

LICENSING, CERTIFICATIONS, and/or OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Valid Virginia Drivers License

Americans with Disabilities Act Requirements

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations.

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS: Working conditions may include exposure to travel to other locations within the City of Richmond as well as outside of the City of Richmond; exposure to hazardous physical conditions such as mechanical parts, electrical currents, vibrations, etc.; atmospheric conditions such as fumes, odors, dusts, gases, and poor ventilation; inadequate lighting; intense noise; and environmental hazards such as disruptive people, imminent danger, and a threatening environment.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT: Due to the nature of work assignments, incumbents must be able to perform detailed work on multiple, concurrent tasks, with frequent interruptions and under time constraint. The essential duties of this classification may require the ability to regularly perform repetitive motions, see, hear, talk, feel, finger, lift, walk, balance, and stand; frequently push, reach, crouch, grasp, and kneel; and occasionally climb, stoop, crawl, pull, and lift. The working conditions may include environmental hazards. In terms of the physical strength to perform the essential duties, this classification is considered to be light work , exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects.

• Internal use: HR Generalist to review.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The City of Richmond provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

The City of Richmond is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, the City of Richmond will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodations. If you require reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to participate in the job application and/or the interview process, please contact Veronica Kenner, by email at HR-ADA@rva.gov.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

The City of Richmond Values Veterans. We are an official V3 Certified Company.

The City of Richmond is a proud partner with the US Army Partnership for Your Success PaYS Program.

With over 4,000 employees, the City of Richmond is an "Employer of Choice" among cities throughout the nation. The City strives to hire and retain employees who bring dedication and talent to the workforce. Offering a competitive, cost effective, and quality benefits package is one element of an "Employer of Choice".

The City offers a full range of benefit programs from initial hire through retirement. Please visit our Web site for details.

01

10-point compensable veteran. You must have an existing compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more. Other 10-point veteran include disabled veteran or a veteran who was awarded the Purple Heart for wound or injuries received in action, veterans widow or widower who has not remarried, wife or husband of a veteran who has a service-connected disability, widowed, divorced or separated mother of an ex-service son or daughter who died in action, or who is totally and permanently disabled. Do any of these apply?

• Yes
• No

02

5-point veterans must have been discharged under honorable conditions and had one of the following: Active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States, in a war, or during the period 4/28/52-7/1/55 or active duty for more than 180 consecutive days other than for training, any part of which occurred during the period beginning 2/1/55 and 10/14/76 or active duty during the Gulf War sometime between 8/2/90 - 1/2/92 or active duty in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized or active duty for which more than 180 consecutive days other than for training, any part of which occurred during the period beginning 9/11/2001 and ending on the date prescribed by the Presidential proclamation or by the law as the last date of operation Iraqi Freedom. Do any of these apply?

• Yes
• No

03

Are you a current City of Richmond employee?

• Yes
• No

04

Employees in this job classification are designated ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL and must be available to report to work during disasters, inclement weather, and other declared emergencies. Are you available and willing to work under these conditions?

• Yes
• No

05

Which answer best describes your highest level of education?

• High School Diploma/ GED
• Some college
• Associates Degree in Business, Accounting, or related field
• Bachelors Degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, or related field
• Masters/Advanced degree
• None of the above

06

Which best describes your years of experience in business tax administration, revenue operations, or a related government finance function?

• Less than one year of experience
• One to two years of experience
• Three to five years of experience
• More than five years of experience

07

Which best describes your experience managing escalated taxpayer or customer inquiries in a tax or government finance environment?

• No experience
• Beginner experience - assisted with routine inquiries under direct supervision
• Intermediate experience - independently resolved escalated taxpayer or customer issues
• Advanced experience - regularly triaged and resolved complex escalated matters and documented outcomes

08

Select all of the experiences below that you have related to business tax administration. (Check all that apply)

• Reviewing, verifying, and processing new business applications or registrations
• Processing business license renewals and account updates
• Performing compliance checks to confirm business registration, licensing, or tax filing status
• Analyzing accounts and processing corrections or adjustments in a business tax or billing system
• Monitoring required filings and reconciling accounts for business taxes (e.g., BPP, BPOL, Admissions, Meals, Transient Occupancy)
• None of the above

09

Which best describes your experience interacting with business owners, CPAs, attorneys, or other third-party representatives to resolve tax issues or secure documentation?

• No experience
• Beginner experience - assisted with basic communications under direct supervision
• Intermediate experience - independently communicated with business owners or representatives to resolve routine issues
• Advanced experience - regularly engaged with business owners and third-party representatives to resolve complex tax matters and coordinate documentation

10

Which best describes your knowledge of City ordinances, State statutes, or regulations governing business taxes or related local excise taxes?

• No knowledge
• Basic knowledge - general awareness of business tax laws and procedures
• Intermediate knowledge - applied relevant statutes or ordinances in a work setting
• Advanced knowledge - regularly interpreted and applied City/State business tax law, including advising taxpayers or staff

11

Which best describes your experience performing data quality checks, reconciling account discrepancies, and maintaining accurate audit trails in a tax or billing system?

• No experience
• Beginner experience - performed basic data entry or account lookups
• Intermediate experience - independently identified and resolved data discrepancies or reconciliation issues
• Advanced experience - led data quality reviews and ensured system accuracy and compliance with records management requirements

12

Which best describes your experience communicating complex business tax information to non-tax experts?

• No experience
• Beginner experience - occasionally communicates complex information to non-tax experts online or over the phone
• Intermediate experience - regularly communicate complex information to non-tax experts online or over the phone
• Advanced experience - handled escalated complex business tax related communication to non-tax experts

13

What is your level of proficiency using Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook)?

• No experience
• Beginner experience
• Intermediate experience
• Advanced experience

14

This role operates in an environment with frequent process changes, new technology implementations, and ongoing improvement initiatives. Please describe your comfort level working in a setting where procedures, systems, and expectations may evolve regularly.

Required Question

Employer City of Richmond

Address 900 East Broad Street

Suite

Richmond, Virginia, 23219

Phone (804) 646-5660

804-646-5660

Website https://www.rva.gov/