U.S. Tax Preparer, Small Business Returns

The U.S. Tax Preparer prepares accurate, complete, and timely U.S. tax returns for BenchTax small business customers. The ideal candidate can review books, year-end financials, prior-year returns, and supporting documents; identify missing or inconsistent information; make or flag straightforward supported bookkeeping/tax adjustments; prepare returns in professional tax software; communicate directly with customers; and conduct draft review calls.

This person must be able to explain tax concepts clearly and empathetically to non-tax professionals and document the file so reviewers and advisors can understand the work without recreating it.

Core Responsibilities

• Prepare federal and applicable state returns for small business customers, including 1040, Schedule C, 1120, 1120-S, and 1065 returns.

• Review customer documents, bookkeeping records, year-end financials, prior-year returns, and supporting schedules before preparing the return.

• Identify missing information, inconsistencies, unsupported balances, or bookkeeping issues before the return reaches review.

• Identify bookkeeping issues that affect tax return accuracy, make straightforward supported adjustments when appropriate, and document or escalate anything that must be corrected before filing.

• Communicate directly with customers when information is needed and conduct draft review calls explaining the return, balance due/refund, approval requirements, and next steps in plain language.

• Prepare or support returns involving R&D credits / Form 6765 where applicable, and identify missing documentation or items requiring specialist/advisor review.

• Provide concise status updates, respond promptly to internal and customer-facing messages, and proactively flag blockers or deadline risks.

• Document workpapers, assumptions, adjustments, open questions, customer conversations, and next steps clearly.

• Resolve routine tax preparation questions independently using tax knowledge, research, and internal resources; escalate only when genuinely advisory, legally sensitive, complex, or outside scope.

• Correct prep-related errors or omissions promptly when returned by reviewer feedback.

• With Power of Attorney, communicate with IRS agents in writing and on calls on behalf of the customer.

• Understand IRS notices and explain next steps to customers; offering first time abatement letters when appropriate.

• Prepare and file amendments.

Required Qualifications

• Valid IRS PTIN.

• Demonstrated U.S. tax preparation experience, including small business returns.

• Experience with at least some of the following: 1040, Schedule C, 1120-S, 1065, and 1120.

• Ability to review financial statements, year-end financials, bookkeeping records, general ledgers, income/expense reports, and supporting documentation.

• Ability to recognize when bookkeeping issues or adjustments affect tax return accuracy.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including comfort speaking directly with customers by phone or video.

• Ability to explain tax concepts clearly, calmly, and empathetically to non-tax professionals.

• Strong computer skills and ability to work efficiently across multiple systems in a remote environment.

• Independent ownership, responsiveness, follow-through, and sound judgment within documented workflows.

• Willingness to complete BenchTax’s written technical assessment and customer-communication assessment.

Preferred Qualifications: 

• CPA or Enrolled Agent designation.

• Big 4 Experience: Ernst Young, KPMG, Deloitte, & PWC

• Experience with R&D credits and Form 6765, including qualified research expenses, payroll tax credit considerations, and substantiation requirements.

• Experience preparing returns for startups, software companies, engineering firms, product-development businesses, or other R&D-heavy clients.

• Experience conducting draft review calls and making or proposing adjusting journal entries.

• Experience with Drake Tax or similar professional tax software.

• Experience in remote tax, accounting, bookkeeping, or client-service environments using tools such as Slack, Google Workspace, Salesforce, customer portals, or workflow trackers

 

Shared Expectations

• Customer communication: comfortable with phone/video calls, written messages, draft review calls, and plain-language explanations of tax outcomes.

• Ownership and follow-through: acknowledges assignments, provides status updates, documents blockers, follows through on commitments, and escalates before deadlines or customer experience are at risk.

• Bookkeeping and adjustment awareness: understands that tax preparation depends on accurate books and recognizes when financial records do not support the return.

• Remote-work and computer skills: highly comfortable using tax software, customer portals, Slack or similar tools, Google Workspace, CRM/workflow systems, dashboards, shared trackers, and multiple browser-based systems.

• Quality and metrics: comfortable being measured on accuracy, avoidable rework, response time, turnaround time, SLA adherence, workpaper/note quality, customer impact, and ability to move work forward without unnecessary escalation.

• Must be based in the Manila area and available to work North American business hours (8 AM – 4 PM EST or PST)
• Must meet Bench’s minimum hardware and internet requirements for smooth communication and workflow