Fully Remote Within North Carolina
Hometown Recruiting is assisting an established North Carolina CPA firm seeking an experienced Senior Tax Associate to prepare and review partnership, S corporation, and individual tax returns for closely held businesses and their owners.
This opportunity is designed for a tax associate who values autonomy, direct client relationships, and the ability to apply professional judgment without being micromanaged. You will manage complex work, contribute to tax-planning conversations, and help clients understand the financial information behind their returns.
The firm offers permanent remote work within North Carolina and a small, collaborative team where quality, communication, and dependable follow-through matter more than billable hours alone.
The Impact You’ll Make
Your work will help business owners and individuals meet their tax obligations while identifying issues and planning opportunities that may affect their financial decisions.
You will also help create additional capacity across the tax team by reviewing less complex returns, independently managing advanced work, and keeping clients and colleagues informed throughout the process.
Success in this role means producing accurate work, managing deadlines without frequent reminders, communicating proactively, and recognizing when a client may benefit from additional guidance.
What You’ll Do
Tax Preparation and Review
- Prepare and review partnership returns on Form 1065
- Prepare and review S corporation returns on Form 1120-S
- Prepare and review individual returns on Form 1040
- Independently manage complex returns for closely held businesses and their owners
- Review less complex returns prepared by a junior tax professional
- Incorporate feedback from the tax manager when reviewing more complex matters
- Examine financial information carefully and raise questions when figures or supporting documents require additional attention
- Maintain accurate workpapers and supporting documentation
- Complete work in accordance with applicable tax requirements and professional standards
Tax Planning and Advisory Support
- Identify potential tax issues and planning opportunities
- Participate in strategic conversations with clients and firm leadership
- Help clients understand how tax decisions may affect their businesses and personal finances
- Look beyond data entry to recognize trends, discrepancies, and areas that may require further review
- Contribute practical recommendations based on each client’s circumstances
- Balance compliance responsibilities with thoughtful advisory support
Client Relationships
- Communicate directly with clients to request documents and clarify information
- Answer questions and provide timely updates regarding the status of their work
- Follow up proactively when information is incomplete or deadlines are approaching
- Explain tax-related needs in clear, professional language
- Build trusted relationships through responsiveness, accuracy, and consistent follow-through
- Raise concerns before they create delays or affect the quality of the work
Workload and Deadline Management
- Manage assigned projects and maintain visibility into the status of each return
- Track outstanding client documents, questions, and follow-up items
- Prioritize work based on filing requirements and upcoming deadlines
- Keep the tax team informed without requiring repeated status requests
- Communicate early when a deadline, workload concern, or client issue may require attention
- Take ownership of assignments from initial preparation through completion
What Will Help You Succeed
Required Experience and Qualifications
- Approximately five to eight years of public accounting experience
- Hands-on experience preparing partnership, S corporation, and individual returns
- Meaningful experience across all three return types, including complex business returns
- Ability to prepare advanced returns independently and review the work of others
- CPA license or active progress toward CPA licensure
- Experience providing tax planning, strategic guidance, or advisory support in addition to compliance work
- Strong client communication and relationship-management skills
- Excellent organization, project management, and deadline-management abilities
- Demonstrated success working remotely and managing responsibilities without close supervision
- Strong attention to detail and sound professional judgment
- Ability to recognize when additional information, research, or input is needed
Preferred Experience
- Experience using UltraTax/Planner/Fixed Assets from Thomson Reuters;
- Proficiency with QuickBooks Online
- Proficiency with Microsoft Products
- Previous experience working for a larger accounting firm
- Interest in bringing that experience to a smaller, collaborative team
- Residence in the Raleigh, Apex, or Cary area for occasional in-person conversations and monthly team lunches
Local residence is preferred but is not required to perform the position.
You May Be a Strong Fit If You…
- Prefer being trusted to manage your work instead of being closely monitored
- Take responsibility for keeping clients and colleagues informed
- Understand how tax information connects to a client’s broader business or financial position
- Ask thoughtful questions when information does not appear complete or accurate
- Are comfortable contacting clients directly when documents or answers are needed
- Can organize your workload and meet deadlines without frequent reminders
- Value professional independence while remaining connected to a small team
- Want to contribute ideas and planning insight in addition to preparing returns
- Take pride in producing accurate, complete, and well-supported work
What Makes This Opportunity Different
This firm offers a level of autonomy and client involvement that can be difficult to find in a larger organization.
You will not be limited to processing returns without understanding the people or businesses behind them. You will communicate directly with clients, contribute to planning discussions, and take meaningful ownership of your work from the beginning.
The tax team includes four professionals within a nine-person firm. Your contribution will be visible, your professional judgment will be valued, and your work will directly support the firm’s clients and continued growth.
Work Environment and Expectations
The firm believes candidates should have a clear understanding of the opportunity before deciding whether it is the right fit.
- The position is permanently remote within North Carolina
- The firm maintains a small office primarily for client meetings
- Written policies, procedures, and software tutorials are available
- Onboarding will primarily occur through hands-on learning rather than a formal training program
- The successful candidate must have the experience and initiative to begin contributing quickly
- Team members are generally expected to avoid taking paid time off during tax season and near extension deadlines
- The annual schedule includes half-day Fridays outside busy season, with work hours distributed differently throughout the year
- Professional growth is based on performance, readiness, and organizational needs rather than a predetermined promotion schedule
- Each member of the small tax team is expected to manage a fair share of incoming work
- The firm handles very few C corporation returns
Candidates whose experience is primarily limited to C corporations or individual returns may not have the partnership and S corporation experience required for this position.
Ready to Explore the Opportunity?
Your résumé may describe the returns you have prepared, but it does not tell the complete story of how you manage client relationships, approach complex work, or operate within a remote team.
Hometown Recruiting wants to understand your experience, professional priorities, preferred work environment, and what you hope to find in your next opportunity.
If you are an experienced tax professional seeking greater autonomy, meaningful client relationships, and the opportunity to contribute within a small team, we encourage you to apply.
Apply today and introduce yourself to Hometown Recruiting. All inquiries will be handled confidentially, and there is never a fee for candidates.