Tax Manager

Distinct | North America; Lincolnshire (IL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Open PTO

Technology investments in practice

Job summary

Distinct | North America is seeking a Tax Manager to work closely with privately held real estate groups and investment entities, reviewing complex Partnership returns alongside S Corporations and C Corporations. You will interact with business owners throughout the year to clarify goals and help them act before problems arise.

The role emphasizes client-side tax work with a modern, tech-enabled environment, partner involvement, and a clear path from Senior Manager to Director and beyond.

Qualifications

• Must hold CPA license and have strong experience with partnerships and pass-through entities.
• Experience with S Corporations and C Corporations is important.
• Strong client-facing advisory skills and business owner communications required.

Responsibilities

• Review complex Partnership returns and pass-through entities.
• Engage with business owners throughout the year to guide decisions.
• Develop and maintain client relationships with open communication and trust.
• Leverage technology to streamline repetitive tax tasks and improve efficiency.

Skills

CPA certification

Partnership experience

S Corporations experience

Client-facing advisory

Education

CPA license

Job description

Most Tax Managers don't leave because they suddenly dislike tax.

Usually, it's because the interesting parts of the job have slowly disappeared.

You become good at reviewing, so you get more to review. Then one day you realise most of your week is spent clearing a queue rather than actually helping the clients whose names are on the returns.

This firm has managed to keep the other side of public accounting alive.

They're looking for a Tax Manager who wants to work closely with privately owned businesses, with a particular focus on real estate groups and investment entities.

There's plenty of technical work, of course. You'll be reviewing complex Partnership returns alongside S Corporations and C Corporations.

But that's not supposed to be your entire job.

You'll spend time talking to business owners throughout the year, understanding what they're trying to do and helping them make better decisions before something becomes a tax problem.

Which is quite different from hearing from somebody once a year when their documents arrive.

The working environment has been built with a similar mindset.

Busy season is capped at around 55 hours, and they have open PTO which people are actually encouraged to use. The Partners remain involved and approachable, but experienced people are given room to manage their own relationships and develop their own style with clients.

There's a proper route forward too.

The next step doesn't have to be Tax Manager with a slightly larger portfolio and considerably more emails.

There's progression through Senior Manager and Director, with Partner a genuine longer term option for someone who wants it.

They've also continued investing in technology where it can remove some of the more repetitive parts of the job. Not because they're trying to squeeze another ten returns into your week, but because there are probably better uses of a Tax Manager's time.

You'll need to be a CPA with strong experience across Partnerships and pass through entities. Experience with S Corporations and C Corporations will be important too.

More than anything, this suits someone who enjoys the client side of tax.

Someone who'd rather spend more of their career becoming the person a business owner calls before making a decision, rather than the person who finds out about it when the return lands on their desk.

We support the CPA firms we partner with in building diverse, inclusive and equitable workplaces, and the right attitude often goes further than ticking every box.