This position is performed from our Vancouver office. It is not a remote position.
Compensation
$24–$30 per hour, depending on demonstrated skills and experience
Typical placement within the range:
- $24–$26: developing preparer who can complete basic returns with regular review.
- $27–$28: preparer who can manage standard Form 1040 engagements and common schedules with moderate supervision.
- $29–$30: experienced preparer who can handle Schedule C, Schedule E, rental-property, self-employment, depreciation, and related workpapers with limited supervision.
The final rate will be based on return-preparation experience, technical ability, software experience, and the results of a practical assessment.
Job Type and Schedule
Hourly, non-exempt employee position.
Year-round, part-time to full-time.
Typical schedule:
- Off-season: approximately 20–30 hours per week.
- Tax season: approximately 32–40 hours per week, depending on workload and availability.
- Additional seasonal needs may occur around extension deadlines.
The final schedule will be agreed upon before hire.
About Solution 8020
Solution 8020 is a growing bookkeeping, tax preparation, and tax-planning firm serving business owners, entrepreneurs, real estate professionals, rental-property owners, and investors.
We are looking for a careful, curious tax preparer who understands that tax preparation is not simply entering numbers into software. A strong preparer reviews the prior return, follows the documents, identifies missing information, questions inconsistencies, and considers whether the final result makes sense.
This role is designed for someone who wants to strengthen their technical skills, work closely with a growing firm, and help business owners understand their tax obligations.
What You Will Do
Depending on experience, responsibilities may include:
- Preparing federal and state individual income-tax returns.
- Preparing Form 1040 returns with common schedules and supporting forms.
- Preparing Schedule C, Schedule E, rental-property, and self-employment workpapers.
- Reviewing prior-year returns for carryforwards, depreciation, elections, and other relevant information.
- Organizing client source documents and tax workpapers.
- Reviewing organizers and identifying missing or contradictory information.
- Preparing clear client requests for missing documents.
- Entering and reviewing information in tax-preparation software.
- Reviewing diagnostics and resolving routine errors.
- Comparing tax-return information with bookkeeping and financial records.
- Preparing proposed bookkeeping adjustments when appropriate.
- Supporting partnership, S corporation, and corporate returns based on experience.
- Assisting with tax-planning data collection and implementation work.
- Preparing concise research notes or technical questions for reviewer consideration.
- Maintaining organized electronic files and meeting internal deadlines.
- Protecting taxpayer confidentiality at all times.
What Success Looks Like
A successful tax preparer:
- Reviews the entire file rather than entering documents in isolation.
- Notices when current-year information conflicts with the prior return.
- Asks clear, organized questions.
- Does not assume that software diagnostics are the same as technical review.
- Communicates missing information before the deadline becomes an emergency.
- Documents their work so another team member can understand it.
- Accepts review notes and does not repeat the same avoidable error.
- Cares about accuracy, compliance, and the client’s overall situation.
- Knows when to research, when to ask, and when not to guess.
We provide technical guidance, review feedback, procedures, and training. After training, preparers are expected to manage assignments responsibly and communicate without repeated follow-up.
Required Qualifications
Candidates must have:
- At least one completed tax season preparing or substantially assisting with U.S. individual income-tax returns, or comparable hands-on tax training.
- Basic understanding of Form 1040 and common individual tax documents.
- Strong attention to detail.
- Ability to organize source documents and prepare clear workpapers.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Comfort learning tax software and firm workflow systems.
- Ability to work consistently from our Vancouver office.
- Professional judgment when handling confidential taxpayer information.
- Active PTIN or willingness and eligibility to obtain one before preparing compensated federal tax returns.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with any of the following is especially helpful:
- Drake Tax.
- Schedule C and self-employment income.
- Schedule E and rental properties.
- Depreciation and fixed-asset reporting.
- K-1 reporting.
- Estimated-tax calculations.
- Multi-state individual returns.
- QuickBooks Online.
- Bookkeeping-to-tax reconciliations.
- Form 1065 or Form 1120-S support.
- Real estate agents, rental owners, or real estate investors.
- TaxDome, Canopy, Karbon, or similar workflow systems.
- Enrolled Agent credential or active progress toward becoming an EA.
Business-return experience is valuable, but candidates are not expected to independently prepare every entity-return type on the first day.
Our Work Environment
We are a collaborative, professional, and low-ego team. We value respectful communication, personal accountability, continuing education, and practical problem-solving.
We want someone who cares about the person behind the tax return and who understands that helping a business owner often begins with asking better questions.
This is a strong opportunity for a developing preparer who wants broader exposure to bookkeeping, business taxation, rental properties, and tax planning.
Benefits and Professional Development
Benefits include:
- Paid sick leave in accordance with Washington law.
- Paid job-related training.
- Continuing education and professional-development support.
- Exposure to bookkeeping, tax planning, and business advisory work.
- Potential tax-season performance bonus based on individual and firm performance.
- Opportunity to grow with an expanding tax and accounting firm.
Confidentiality
This position involves access to confidential taxpayer and financial information. The selected candidate must follow firm confidentiality, data-security, and technology-use requirements and sign a confidentiality agreement before receiving access to client files.
Application Process
Please submit your resume through Indeed. A separate cover letter is not required.
Selected candidates may be asked to:
- Complete a brief phone screening.
- Complete a short tax-preparation assessment using fictional taxpayer information.
- Attend an in-office interview.
Solution 8020 is an equal opportunity employer.
Pay: $24.00 - $30.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Employee discount
- Flexible schedule
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
Work Location: In person
