US Payroll Tax Specialist

Inkle; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 2,100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Stock option scheme

Health insurance

Relocation allowance

Generous leave policy

WFH days

Job summary

Inkle, a US tax and accounting software startup with a Bengaluru base, is building a payroll service line. You will own US payroll tax end-to-end, advise on employment models like W-2, PEO or EOR, and configure major payroll platforms for our US customers.

You will drive compliance setup across states, handle notices, and train teams to improve payroll processes while collaborating with product and engineering on automation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, commerce, finance or equivalent.
• 2+ years of hands-on US payroll tax experience.
• Strong multi-state registration experience including withholding, unemployment, disability and paid leave.
• Practical knowledge of Forms 941/944/940, W-2, W-3, 1099-NEC and related returns.
• Experience with at least two major payroll platforms at configuration level.
• Knowledge of state workers' compensation requirements and year-end audits.
• Strong research skills and ability to explain technical positions to non-US founders.

Responsibilities

• Be the in-house expert on US payroll tax and address complex questions from customers and teams.
• Advise on US employment structures (W-2, PEO, EOR) and transitions.
• Configure and audit payroll platforms (Gusto, Rippling, Deel, Justworks, ADP).
• Assist with compliance documentation and registrations across states.
• Lead payroll tax projects and handle notices end-to-end.
• Train teams to handle routine payroll compliance.

Skills

US payroll tax

Multi-state compliance

W-2/PEO/EOR knowledge

IRS/state guidance research

English communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting/commerce/finance

Tools

Gusto

Rippling

Deel

Justworks

ADP

Job description

About Inkle:

Inkle is a US tax & accounting software startup based in San Francisco and Bangalore. We exclusively serve US technology startups. We're on a mission to make accounting, tax and compliance easy, scalable, affordable and on-demand for US-registered companies - using software and human services. We are a team of passionate and creative individuals who believe in the power of technology to simplify complex processes. Inkle launched in 2022, and already serves well over 500 US companies, and we’re growing fast. We’re backed by leading global VC funds.

About the team and this role:

Payroll is one of our newest service lines. Our customers hire their first US employees long before they have anyone in-house who understands US payroll tax, and they come to us with the questions their payroll platform will not answer.

Our customers keep their own HR teams and run their own pay cycles. Inkle owns the tax and compliance layer around payroll, and this role owns it end to end. As our first specialist hire for this service line, you will determine how the work is performed, handle the technical tasks yourself, and train the team to manage everything that doesn't require your direct involvement.

Responsibilities:

• Be Inkle's in-house expert on US payroll tax, and the person customers and internal teams come to with the difficult questions.

• Advise founders on how to employ people in the US: W-2 direct employment, PEO or EOR (when hiring outside US), when each makes sense, and what it takes to move from one to another.

• Set up and audit customer payroll platforms accurately across Gusto, Rippling, Deel, Justworks, ADP and similar.

• Assist with the compliance documentation that has to be in place before a customer can pay anyone: state withholding and unemployment registrations, disability and paid family leave accounts, workers' compensation coverage, EDD, TWC and equivalent state agency accounts, new hire reporting, and state retirement mandates.

• Map the full compliance cascade when a customer hires in a new state, and drive the setup to completion with the Compliance team before the first paycheck.

• Take on payroll tax projects: workers' compensation registrations, prior period Forms 940 and 941, corporate unemployment tax filings, Forms W-2, W-2c and W-3c, Form 941-X amendments, and PEO exits and platform migrations.

• Advise on multi-state and remote workforce questions: resident and non-resident withholding, reciprocity agreements, work state sourcing, and local and school district taxes.

• Handle IRS and state payroll tax notices end to end, including penalty abatement and reasonable cause requests, calling agencies directly where needed.

• Review worker classification questions and raise the risk when a contractor arrangement starts to look like employment.

• Advise on payroll for equity events, including option exercises and RSU vesting, so withholding and reporting land in the correct quarter.

• Research payroll tax rules across the states our customers operate in, track rates, wage bases, and legislative changes, and keep our internal knowledge base current.

• Train the Tax, Compliance, and other teams so they handle routine payroll compliance work well without escalation, and review their work as they come up the curve.

• Build the internal playbook: intake checklists, registration trackers, platform configuration standards, review protocols and notice response templates.

• Work with our product and engineering teams on what should be automated inside the Inkle platform.

Who we’re looking for:

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, commerce, finance or an equivalent field.

• 2+ years of hands-on US payroll tax experience.

• Strong multi-state registration experience across a wide spread of states, covering withholding, unemployment, disability and paid leave accounts.

• Practical command of Forms 941, 944 and 940, Forms W-2 and W-3, Forms 1099-NEC, state withholding and unemployment returns, and amendments.

• Real working knowledge of at least two major payroll platforms at the configuration level, and the ability to learn a new one quickly. We are platform agnostic.

• Knowledge of workers' compensation requirements by state, how coverage is placed, and how the policy year-end audit works.

• Strong research skills and comfort with primary sources: IRS guidance, state agency publications, statutes and regulations.

• Strong command of the English language, both written and verbal, and the ability to explain a technical position to a non-US founder without diluting it.

• Willingness to teach. A meaningful part of this role is making the rest of the team better at payroll compliance.

• CPP, FPC, CPA, EA or CA qualification is preferred.

• Experience serving US companies.

• Working hours: Monday-Friday, based in our Bengaluru office, you'll work 12 pm- 9 pm IST in order to serve US customers. The timing might change to serve the customers better.

Benefits that we’ll provide:

• Competitive salary: Inkle offers a competitive compensation package benchmarked to local norms in Bangalore and San Francisco.

• Stock option scheme - all Inkle employees receive generous stock options with very favourable terms.

• Health insurance - all Inkle employees are covered under a Group Medical Insurance policy.

• Relocation allowance - Inkle provides a one-time expense allowance to cover moving costs when you join the office in Bangalore.

• Inkle has a very generous leave policy. This includes 1 day of Period Leave per month for all female employees.

• Inkle employees are granted 10 work-from-home days (per year, pro-rated). This is on top of their leave.

• A comfortable, fun and safe office environment in the heart of Bangalore with great transport links and eateries nearby.

• All employees receive Laptops and external monitors as required.

Diversity Statement:

Inkle is committed to building a diverse and inclusive culture that promotes our belief in humanity excelling when we celebrate our differences. We are an equal opportunity provider and invite applicants from all backgrounds.