US Tax Accountant (South Africa)

About the Role

You’ll own the work that keeps leaders calm and compliant: multi-entity 1040/1065/1120/1120-S preparation & review, clear planning memos, airtight workpapers, and timely sign-offs. You’ll spot elections, credits, and apportionment issues before they become problems, then explain them in plain English. You’ll sharpen playbooks—checklists, review notes, and close calendars—so every busy season feels a little less busy.

What You’ll Do

Deep-Dive: Tax Preparation & Review

• Own tax intake end-to-end: Drive organizers, smart document requests, and kickoff calls; map client TBs and prior-year returns to this year’s workplan.
• Entity expertise (1065/1120/1120-S):
• Build and review K-1s, capital accounts, partner/shareholder basis and at-risk
• Evaluate §199A (QBI) eligibility and limitations; document wage/UBIA computations.
• Assess reasonable compensation for S-corp shareholder-employees.
• Individual returns (1040):
• Prepare clean Schedules A/B/C/D/E, Form 4797, 6252 (installment sales), passive activity loss and basis tracking, 1099-B reconciliations, wash sale checks.
• Roll forward carryforwards (NOL, capital loss, AMT credits) and manage ES payments/safe harbors.
• Multi-state & SALT: Calculate apportionment (sales/payroll/property), manage nexus updates, composite/non-resident returns, and PTE/SALT cap workaround elections where applicable.
• Credits & elections: Surface and document opportunities (R&D for eligible filers, 179/bonus choices, accounting method changes, late elections relief memos).
• Fixed assets & depreciation: Maintain Form 4562 schedules, asset ledgers, and disposal/partial disposition rules; reconcile book vs tax depreciation.
• Quality & sign-off: Build audit-ready workpapers with clear tick marks, review notes, and support; manage e-file submissions, acknowledgments, and extensions.
• Notices & follow-through: Draft concise responses to IRS/state notices, set reminders for follow-ups, and keep clients calm with clear options and timelines.
• Calendar discipline: Own busy-season checkpoints (intake → prep → review → client Q&A → e-file) and off-season planning (estimates, projections, method changes).

Client Collaboration

• Join standing calls, summarize impacts (cash, rate, timing), and deliver one-page takeaways leaders can act on. Translate code citations into business decisions.

Workflow & Process Improvement

• Standardize SOPs, checklists, and review gates; set up rules/automations in tax and accounting tools to reduce manual steps; capture wins in a living playbook.

Data Integrity

• Keep folders organized, naming consistent, and documentation complete so any reviewer (or auditor) can follow your trail quickly.

What You’ll Bring

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related discipline
• 3+ years US Tax experience preparing and reviewing 1040, 1065, 1120, 1120-S.
• Strong command of US federal & state tax rules; comfort with GAAP and IRS procedures.
• Tax Software Proficiency: ProConnect, UltraTax, Drake, Lacerte (or similar).
• Cloud-first toolkit: QuickBooks Online, Xero; strong Excel/Google Sheets skills (lookups, pivots).
• Communication: Confident written/spoken English; client-facing presence.
• Time-zone alignment: Comfortable working US business hours
• Nice-to-have (but not required):
• HNW 1040s (K-1s, Sched C/E), multi-state, consolidated or international exposure (GILTI/FTC).
• Form 990 (nonprofits) and Form 1041 (Estates & Trusts) experience or familiarity

The Ideal Candidate

• You’re detail-obsessed but practical—you know when to go deep and when to move.
• You can explain tough topics (basis, §199A, depreciation methods) without jargon.
• You thrive in busy seasons because your SOPs, checklists, and calendars are dialed in.
• You enjoy coaching others and raising the quality bar.
• You look for automation and small process wins that compound over time.