Tax Senior, Private Client Services

BDO USA; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

ESOP program

Total Rewards benefits

Job summary

BDO USA Private Client Services is seeking a Tax Senior to provide tax compliance and consulting for high net-worth clients in Milwaukee, WI. The role leverages education, experience, communication, leadership, and people skills to serve clients with complex tax and financial structures.

Responsibilities include supervising staff, gathering information for tax returns, and preparing complex returns across entities while addressing client needs and collaborating with advisors.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, or Statistics required; OR Bachelor's degree in other focus area and CPA certification required
• Master’s degree in Accountancy or Taxation preferred
• Two (2) or more years of prior relevant tax experience and/or public accounting, private industry accounting, or consulting/professional services experience required
• Experience in private client service preferred
• CPA certification, Attorney (admitted to practice in a U.S. jurisdiction), or IRS Enrolled Agent preferred

Responsibilities

• Participates in tax and consulting engagements and enhances skills identifying and addressing client needs
• Works with clients and their advisors to gather information needed to prepare tax returns
• Prepares complex individual, trust, estate, S-Corp, foundation, partnership, and gift tax returns, both Federal and State jurisdictions
• Reviews basic individual and trust tax returns and provides written and verbal feedback to staff and interns
• Analyzes tax notices received from government agencies and prepares initial drafts of response
• Identifies technical issues, conducts advanced tax research, and develops sound recommendations for PCS leadership
• Works in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment both independently and within a team dynamic
• Prioritizes and completes tasks
• Collaborates and builds new relationships with other new professionals both inside and outside the firm

Skills

Initiative

Communication

Leadership

Business Development

People Development

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, or Statistics

Master's degree in Accountancy or Taxation

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Adobe Acrobat

GoSystems, BNA Tax Planner, GoFileRoom, SurePrep

BNA Portfolio, CCH IntelliConnect, Checkpoint and Lexis Nexis

Job description

Private Client Services at BDO is a boutique practice within our firm. Offering a high touch approach, we have extensive experience serving high net‑worth individuals, their families, family offices, C‑Suite executives, athletes, entertainers, as well as other people with complicated tax and financial structures. The Private Client Services Practice is experienced in all aspects of estate, income, gift, and trust tax consulting and compliance; charitable giving and philanthropic foundations; executive compensation; and cash‑flow, retirement, and life insurance planning.

Job Summary

A Tax Senior, Private Client Services is responsible for utilizing their educational background and professional experience as well as their communication, time management, leadership, technical, business development, and people skills to provide tax compliance and consulting services to our high net‑worth clients.

Job Duties

• Participates in tax and consulting engagements and enhances skills identifying and addressing client needs
• Works with clients and their advisors to gather information needed to prepare tax returns
• Prepares complex individual, trust, estate, S-Corp, foundation, partnership, and gift tax returns, both Federal and State jurisdictions, while demonstrating the ability to follow instructions and actively seek feedback
• Reviews basic individual and trust tax returns and provides written and verbal feedback to staff and interns
• Analyzes tax notices received from government agencies and prepares initial drafts of response
• Identifies technical issues, conducts advanced tax research, and develops sound recommendations for PCS leadership
• Works in a fast‑paced, deadline-driven environment both independently and within a team dynamic
• Prioritizes and completes tasks
• Collaborates and builds new relationships with other new professionals both inside and outside the firm

Supervisory Responsibilities

• May supervise and manage the day-to-day work assignments of PCS Associates
• Provides verbal and written performance feedback to PCS Associates, as necessary
• Acts as mentor to PCS Associates

Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, or Statistics, required; OR Bachelor's degree in other focus area and CPA certification, required
• Master’s degree in Accountancy or Taxation, preferred

Experience

• Two (2) or more years of prior relevant tax experience and/or public accounting, private industry accounting, or consulting/professional services experience, required
• Experience in private client service, preferred
• Prior basic supervisory experience, preferred

License/Certifications

• CPA certification, Attorney (admitted to practice in a U.S. jurisdiction), or Internal Revenue Service Enrolled Agent (“EA”) (or the equivalent of one of these designations), preferred
• Possession of other professional degrees or certifications applicable to role, preferred

Software

• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office Suite (specifically Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and Adobe Acrobat, required
• Experience with tax compliance process software (GoSystems, BNA Tax Planner, GoFileRoom, SurePrep), preferred
• Experience with tax research tools (BNA Portfolio, CCH IntelliConnect, Checkpoint and Lexis Nexis), preferred

Other Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Initiative
  • Works hard, putting in extra effort when necessary to complete their assignments within given deadlines; self-starting; doesn’t need to be explicitly told to put in this effort; when set, meets weekly/engagement hours expectations
  • Owns their own career and technical development; demonstrates self-awareness, actively pursues projects and learning experiences to fill in their technical knowledge gaps
• Communication
  • Expresses themselves effectively verbally and in writing; takes complex thoughts, synthesizes them into works using clear, concise language, and presents a cohesive narrative
  • Internally, communicates the status of their work to their team; promptly responds to requests
• Leadership
  • Leads by example, acting as a model for the firm’s core values
  • Takes on challenges; sees tasks through completion, even if there are obstacles
• Business Development
  • Builds new relationships and maintains existing relationships with BDO professionals and external sources
• People Development
  • Ability to interact effectively with people at all organizational levels of the firm
  • Takes the time to teach others information/skills that are critical to their current and future work
  • Trains associates and interns on how to use all current software tools and PCS methodology

Salary Ranges

Individual salaries that are offered to a candidate are determined after consideration of numerous factors including but not limited to the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and geography.

California Range: $84,000 - $110,000

Colorado Range: $72,000 - $90,000

Illinois Range: $80,000 - $93,000

Maryland Range: $90,000 - $94,000

Massachusetts Range: $90,000 - $100,000

Minnesota Range: $75,000 - $84,000

New Jersey Range: $82,000 - $112,000

Ohio Range: $81,000 - $95,000

NYC/Long Island/Westchester Range: $100,000 - $110,000

Washington Range: $80,000 - $95,000

Washington DC Range: $93,000 - $98,000

About Us

At BDO, how we show up matters. We build strong relationships by supporting one another, our clients, and our communities with care, curiosity, and a commitment to helping one another grow and succeed. Here, you’ll find meaningful work, leaders invested in your success, and opportunities to build a career around what matters most to you.

Our purpose is to be the people our clients count on to grow with confidence and achieve what matters most. Our values guide how we bring that purpose to life each day. Together, they shape how we work with one another, serve our clients, and create meaningful impact.

BDO provides assurance, tax, and advisory services to clients across the U.S. and around the world. No matter your role, you’ll be part of a team helping clients navigate complexity and move forward with clarity.

We are proud to be an ESOP company, offering participants a stake in the firm’s success through beneficial ownership and a unique opportunity to enhance their financial well‑being. As a qualified retirement plan, the ESOP is a meaningful addition to our comprehensive compensation and Total Rewards benefits* offerings. It also reinforces an ownership mindset that strengthens our connection to one another, our clients, and the future we’re building together.

Learn more about our benefits: BDO Total Rewards encompass more than traditional benefits.

• Benefits may be subject to eligibility requirements.

Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/vets

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

"BDO USA, P.A. is an EO employer M/F/Veteran/Disability"