Senior Manager Accounting & Tax

Distinct | North America; Markham; Hybrid; CAD 140,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Distinct in Markham is seeking a Senior Manager in Accounting & Tax to lead a broad portfolio of privately owned businesses, overseeing year-end accounting engagements and tax compliance. You’ll interact with Partners on planning, reorganizations and advisory work, ensuring high-quality insights beyond numbers.

The role blends corporate, personal and trust tax exposure with opportunities to influence clients’ strategic decisions, budgeting, and team development.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of Canadian public accounting experience.
• Previous Manager or Senior Manager experience within a CPA firm.
• Strong experience across both accounting and Canadian tax.
• Experience managing a portfolio of privately owned businesses.
• Strong knowledge of ASPE.
• Experience reviewing T1, T2 and T3 returns.
• Exposure to corporate tax planning and reorganizations.
• Strong client relationship and advisory skills.
• Experience reviewing files and developing staff.
• Comfortable working directly with business owners and senior client contacts.

Responsibilities

• Managing a portfolio of privately owned businesses and their shareholders.
• Overseeing compilation and other year-end accounting engagements.
• Reviewing financial statements prepared under ASPE, with IFRS exposure depending on the client.
• Reviewing corporate, personal and trust tax compliance.
• Reviewing T1, T2, T3 and T5013 returns alongside other tax filings.
• Providing oversight on T4s, T5s, GST/HST and other supplementary filings.
• Advising clients on corporate and personal tax planning.
• Supporting estate and succession planning.
• Working on corporate reorganizations, rollovers and other tax-driven transactions.
• Assisting with CRA queries, audits and more complex tax matters.
• Advising owner-managers on cash flow, business structure and wider commercial issues.
• Reviewing work completed by Managers, Seniors and junior staff.
• Coaching and developing team members.
• Managing engagement budgets, deadlines and client expectations.
• Identifying opportunities to provide clients with additional accounting, tax and advisory support.
• Working directly with Partners on complex client matters and longer-term planning.

Skills

Public accounting

Managerial exp

Canadian tax

Portfolio management

ASPE

T1/T2/T3 review

Corporate tax planning

Client advisory

Staff development

Owner contact

CPA/DITP asset

Job description

Senior Manager, Accounting & Tax | $140,000-$170,000 | Markham (Hybrid)

The easiest way to make a Senior Manager role sound senior is to give it a bigger title.

The harder way is to give someone more influence.

This opportunity does the latter.

You'll take ownership of a broad portfolio of privately owned businesses and their shareholders, working closely with Partners on everything from year-end accounting and tax compliance through to planning, reorganizations and wider business advisory work.

At this level, the interesting part of the job is rarely just getting the numbers right. It's understanding what those numbers mean, spotting problems before they become expensive and becoming someone clients actually call before making a decision.

Why this role stands out:

• Markham location
• Genuine mix of accounting, tax and advisory work
• Broad portfolio of privately owned businesses
• Exposure to both Canadian and international clients
• Direct involvement with Partners
• Corporate, personal, trust and estate tax exposure
• Opportunity to work on reorganizations, succession planning and transactions
• Leadership and development of Managers and junior staff
• Clear progression toward Director and Partner

What you'll be doing:

• Managing a portfolio of privately owned businesses and their shareholders
• Overseeing compilation and other year-end accounting engagements
• Reviewing financial statements prepared under ASPE, with IFRS exposure depending on the client
• Reviewing corporate, personal and trust tax compliance
• Reviewing T1, T2, T3 and T5013 returns alongside other tax filings
• Providing oversight on T4s, T5s, GST/HST and other supplementary filings
• Advising clients on corporate and personal tax planning
• Supporting estate and succession planning
• Working on corporate reorganizations, rollovers and other tax-driven transactions
• Assisting with CRA queries, audits and more complex tax matters
• Advising owner-managers on cash flow, business structure and wider commercial issues
• Reviewing work completed by Managers, Seniors and junior staff
• Coaching and developing team members
• Managing engagement budgets, deadlines and client expectations
• Identifying opportunities to provide clients with additional accounting, tax and advisory support
• Working directly with Partners on complex client matters and longer-term planning

What they're looking for:

• 8+ years of Canadian public accounting experience
• Previous Manager or Senior Manager experience within a CPA firm
• Strong experience across both accounting and Canadian tax
• Experience managing a portfolio of privately owned businesses
• Strong knowledge of ASPE
• Experience reviewing T1, T2 and T3 returns
• Exposure to corporate tax planning and reorganizations
• Strong client relationship and advisory skills
• Experience reviewing files and developing staff
• Comfortable working directly with business owners and senior client contacts
• CPA In-Depth Tax Program would be an asset, but isn't essential for someone with strong practical tax experience

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