SummaryThe Payroll Tax Lead serves as a senior payroll tax subject matter expert within the payroll team, responsible for payroll tax compliance and operations across a complex, multi-state workforce. This role ensures accurate and timely employee and employer payroll tax withholding, deposits, filings, reconciliations, registrations, amendments, and year-end reporting.
Working closely with Payroll, People Systems, Finance, and external payroll tax vendors, the Payroll Tax Lead will resolve complex payroll tax matters, strengthen controls, and ensure payroll tax processes and systems remain compliant and scalable.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities- Lead multi-state federal, state, and local payroll tax compliance, including employee and employer taxes, deposits, filings, and reconciliations.
- Coordinate quarterly and year-end payroll tax activities, including Forms 941, 940, W-2, W-2C, amendments, and related reconciliations.
- Manage payroll tax registrations, agency notices, audits, penalties, and correspondence through timely resolution.
- Monitor regulatory changes and partner with Payroll and People Systems to ensure payroll tax processes, controls, and system configuration remain compliant.
- Identify root causes of payroll tax issues, drive sustainable corrective actions, and ensure effective performance of external payroll tax vendors.
- Participate in M&A diligence and integration activities, providing payroll tax expertise and supporting end-to-end readiness, compliance, and issue resolution.
- Develop payroll tax reporting and provide clear recommendations on material compliance risks, trends, and opportunities for improvement.
QualificationsRequired Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in business, Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, or a related field.
- Minimum of 5 years of payroll tax experience in a complex, multi-state environment, with strong knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll tax laws and regulations.
- Experience across payroll tax filings, reconciliations, registrations, amendments, agency notices, and year-end reporting.
- Experience working with enterprise payroll platform and payroll tax providers.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Workday Payroll experience.
- ADP payroll and payroll tax experience.
- Experience supporting mergers, acquisitions, or large-scale organizational changes.
- Healthcare or other highly regulated industry experience.
- CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) certification or similar credential.
