About the Role
We're a busy tax and accounting practice looking for someone who can be the first voice our clients hear and someone who can competently handle real bookkeeping and payroll work behind the scenes. This is not a purely administrative role — you'll be trusted with client financial data, so a solid grasp of basic accounting concepts is required, not preferred.
We've had difficulty finding candidates who can actually do both sides of this job well, so we're being very specific about what's required. Please read the qualifications section carefully before applying — we will be testing for this knowledge during the interview process.
What You'll Do
- Greet clients, answer phones, and manage the appointment calendar during tax season and year-round
- Serve as a primary point of contact for client questions and document collection
- Perform monthly bookkeeping for a portfolio of small business clients, including recording transactions, categorizing expenses, and maintaining accurate charts of accounts
- Process client payroll runs, including calculating withholdings, filing payroll tax deposits, and preparing quarterly/annual payroll reports
- Prepare and post journal entries, including standard adjusting and accrual entries
- Perform monthly bank and credit card reconciliations
- Assist in generating basic financial statements (income statement, balance sheet) for client review
- Maintain organized digital client files
Required Qualifications
- Working knowledge of double-entry bookkeeping — you should be comfortable explaining, without coaching, what a debit and credit are and how they affect different account types
- Ability to build and maintain a chart of accounts appropriate to a small business
- Experience preparing journal entries, including accruals and adjusting entries
- Experience performing bank reconciliations from start to finish, including identifying and resolving discrepancies
- Ability to read and explain basic financial statements (income statement, balance sheet) — not just generate them
- Prior hands-on experience with payroll processing (calculating withholdings, tax deposits, filing quarterly reports)
- Experience with QuickBooks (Online and Desktop)
- Strong phone and in-person customer service skills — this is a client-facing role, not just back-office work
- Excellent attention to detail and comfort working with confidential financial information
- Reliable, organized, and able to manage competing priorities during peak tax season
Preferred Qualifications
- Prior experience working in a tax or accounting firm
- Associate's or bachelor's degree in accounting, business, or related field
- Familiarity with Drake Tax or similar tax preparation software
- Bookkeeping certification (e.g., QuickBooks ProAdvisor)
Pay: $25.00 - $30.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan
Application Question(s):
- In your own words, explain the difference between a debit and a credit, and give an example of each.
- Walk us through the general steps you'd take to reconcile a bank statement that doesn't match the books.
- What's the difference between an income statement and a balance sheet?
- Describe your hands-on experience (if any) running payroll — what software did you use and what did the process involve?
Work Location: In person
