ABOUT THE FIRM
Steve CPA, Inc. is a boutique tax and advisory firm headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, serving business owners, S corporations, equity-compensated professionals, and complex individual filers throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. The firm's practice spans individual and business tax preparation, quarterly tax planning and projections, entity structuring, reasonable compensation analysis, bookkeeping oversight, and year-round advisory engagements.
All work is performed in-house by the firm's own team. The firm does not outsource or offshore any client work, and that commitment is central to both its client relationships and its standard of quality. The firm is in a period of deliberate, well-capitalized growth heading into the 2027 filing season.
The successful candidate will work directly with the firm's founder and will play a defining role in how the practice operates as it scales.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Senior Tax Associate will carry client engagements from intake through delivery, subject to final review by the firm's principal. This is a hands-on preparation and review role with substantial autonomy and a defined path to increasing leadership responsibility, including the supervision and technical review of a junior associate cohort expected to join the firm in late fall 2026.
The role begins at approximately 20 hours per week with flexible scheduling and converts to full-time in January 2027 ahead of the filing season. Candidates should apply only if the January full-time conversion is consistent with their plans.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Tax Preparation and Review
- Prepare federal and California individual income tax returns of moderate to high complexity, including returns involving equity compensation (RSU, ISO, ESPP, and QSBS matters), multi-state considerations, rental real estate, and pass-through income
- Prepare business income tax returns, principally Forms 1120-S, 1120, and 1065, including complete Schedules L, M-1, and M-2, shareholder basis reporting on Form 7203, and reasonable compensation documentation
- Prepare amended returns and supporting statements, reconciling as-filed positions to corrected positions with complete workpaper support
- Review all work product for mathematical accuracy, internal consistency across forms, and conformity to firm workpaper conventions prior to submission for principal review
Tax Planning and Projections
- Prepare quarterly estimated tax analyses and safe harbor assessments for individual and business planning clients, including recommended payment amounts, deadlines, and remittance instructions
- Build and maintain multi-scenario tax projections using firm templates and tooling
- Support quarterly and year-end planning cycles, including client data collection, projection preparation, and deliverable drafting
Accounting and Bookkeeping Oversight
- Review and clean up QuickBooks Online files for closely-held businesses, including chart of accounts design, transaction categorization, and reconciliations
- Prepare year-end books-to-return tie-outs, including retained earnings rollforwards and equity account reconciliation
Client Matters and Correspondence
- Draft responses to federal and state notices, including IRS CP-series notices and Franchise Tax Board correspondence, for principal review
- Prepare client-facing deliverables from standardized firm templates, maintaining the firm's formatting and communication standards
- Communicate with clients professionally regarding document requests, open items, and engagement status through the firm's client portal
Supervision and Firm Development
- Review the work of junior associates, provide constructive technical feedback, and contribute to their training and development
- Contribute to the continuous improvement of firm templates, checklists, and workflow documentation
- Identify recurring process inefficiencies and propose standardized solutions
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Three or more years of recent tax experience in public accounting, with demonstrated responsibility for preparing individual and pass-through business returns from start to finish
- Active CPA license or Enrolled Agent credential, or active candidacy with a defined completion timeline
- Working command of S corporation taxation, including reasonable compensation, shareholder basis, distributions, and the interaction between entity-level and shareholder-level reporting
- Proficiency with professional tax preparation software (Intuit ProConnect strongly preferred) and QuickBooks Online
- Demonstrated ability to work independently, manage concurrent deadlines, and produce work requiring minimal correction
- Strong written communication suitable for client-facing correspondence
- Authorization to work in the United States
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience with a practice management platform
- Experience with multi-entity structures, entity conversions, and accounting method considerations
- Experience preparing amended returns and penalty abatement or reasonable cause correspondence
- Master of Science in Taxation or equivalent graduate coursework
- Familiarity with California-specific matters, including Schedule CA adjustments, FTB procedures, and pass-through entity elective tax
COMPENSATION, SCHEDULE, AND LOCATION
- Hourly rate of $45.00 to $55.00, commensurate with experience and credentials
- Approximately 20 hours per week from start through December 2026, with substantial scheduling flexibility
- Conversion to full-time employment in January 2027; filing season involves extended hours consistent with the profession, and the firm caps and compensates those hours transparently
- Primarily remote within the East Bay and greater Bay Area, with occasional in-person collaboration in Walnut Creek; candidates should be located within reasonable proximity
- Performance and compensation review upon full-time conversion, with a defined trajectory toward a senior leadership role in the tax practice as the firm grows
APPLICATION PROCESS
Interested candidates should apply exclusively through this posting and include a current resume. A brief cover note describing the business returns you have prepared independently is welcome but not required. Selected candidates will complete a short screening call, a technical interview, and a compensated trial assignment representative of the actual work. Please do not contact the firm directly by telephone or email regarding this posting; all applications are reviewed, and qualified candidates will be contacted promptly.
Steve CPA, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Pay: $45.00 - $55.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Flexible schedule
- Opportunities for advancement
- Professional development assistance
- Work from home
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Walnut Creek, CA 94596
