Farm Hand

Job Summary The FBFM vision is to be recognized as the leading resource for financial and business consulting services to farmers and agricultural industries. The Farm Business Associate position is designed for an individual who ultimately wants to move into a full‑time Farm Business Consultant (Field Staff) role. The work will encompass the entire FBFM environment but will primarily focus on the organization’s core structure and functions. The goal is to lay the FBFM foundation for future advancement, enabling direct client work and business growth. A minimum of one year is required. Candidates should be pursuing a career in agriculture; prior work experience is preferred but not required. Duties Interact with FBFM clients and serve as a representative of the organization. Work with Support Staff II to develop a comprehensive understanding and manage responsibilities including: PC Mars Program: data entry, balancing, reconciliation, and editing. Check accounting with PC Mars. Preparation of 2290 and 5500EZ documents. Responses to IRS and IDOR notices. W‑2/1099 preparation and client delivery. Introduction to Lacerte. Understand the FBFM model and make periodic farm visits with the Farm Business Consultant. Comprehend the Manual Record Book mechanics and learn the T‑Book. Maintain PTIN and attend the required Tax School. Participate in all training mandated by Illinois FBFM and attend spring, fall, and possibly NAFBAS conferences. Collaborate with Support Staff to compile check‑in packets and craft client letters. Assist the office Farm Business Consultant in understanding: Tax planning using the Lacerte tax planner. Checking in and processing business record books. Reviewing capital purchases, loan amounts, and entering data into the FBFM asset manager. Reviewing capital sales and updating the Fair Market Value report. Transferring PC Mars files to E‑Book and understanding the rationale for balancing an E‑Book. Transferring the E‑Book to the FBFM program and completing the Enterprise allocation. Printing preliminary FBFM reports, current year E‑Book, depreciation schedules, FMV schedules, and rolling the current year E‑Book to the new year. Enter tax information into the Lacerte Program, including estimates, wages, interest, dividends, miscellaneous income, dispositions, Schedule E activities, Schedule F, Pass‑Through K‑1, Form 4562, IRA/Retirement contributions, health insurance adjustments, Schedule A, and fuel used off‑highway. Maintain the file server. Assist the Farm Business Consultant as required. Important Qualities Analytical skills to identify business strengths and improvement opportunities. Strong attention to detail. Outstanding organizational skills and the ability to prioritize workload. Excellent interpersonal, communication, problem‑solving, and analytical skills. A self‑starter who can manage time wisely and work under limited supervision. The desire to help farm families with business and tax matters. Ability to handle a heavy workload from November through April. Effective communication skills for explaining recommendations in a clear, confident manner. Computer skills to use software tools for analyzing financial and production data and preparing tax returns. Professionalism in a workplace setting. Detail orientation for completing production, financial, and tax documents accurately. Mathematical competency for accurate production, financial, and tax tasks. Required Qualifications and Educational Requirements Bachelor’s degree in Ag Business, Ag Education, Accounting, Business, Finance, or a related field. Agriculture or farming background, or working knowledge of farm operations, the ag industry, and accounting/finance principles. Willingness to work longer hours in fall and winter with flexibility during other seasons. Ability to travel throughout the region for farm visits. Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation. Preferred Skills Master’s degree in Ag Business, Ag Education, Accounting, Business, Finance, or a related field. Enrolled Agent (EA) with the IRS. CPA certification. Successful experience with current software applications. Experience with tax return preparation. Experience working with farm business operations. Willingness to live in the service area. #J-18808-Ljbffr