Senior Enrolled Agent / Tax Advisor

Job Description

Job Description

About the Opportunity

Whalen Financial is a rapidly growing wealth-management firm providing investment management, retirement planning, tax planning, insurance, estate-planning coordination, and family-office services to individuals, families, retirees, executives, and business owners.

Our tax division, The Whalen Group , is an integral part of that client experience.

We are not looking for a seasonal tax preparer.

We are looking for an experienced Enrolled Agent and Tax Advisor who understands that excellent tax work goes far beyond completing a return.

The right candidate can independently manage an assigned client base, prepare complex individual and business returns, identify planning opportunities, communicate directly with clients, resolve tax issues, and take ownership of their work from beginning to end.

Whalen Financial continues to grow rapidly, and we are investing in exceptional people ahead of that growth.

We are interested in professionals who want to become part of a sophisticated wealth-management and family-office environment rather than simply work through another tax season.

This is not an entry-level or developmental role.

Candidates must already possess the technical foundation and professional judgment required to operate independently with minimal supervision.

What Success Looks Like

A successful Tax Advisor at Whalen does not simply ask:

“Do we have all the documents required to file the return?”

They also ask:

• Why did the client's tax liability change?
• Are estimated payments appropriate?
• Is the business owner's compensation reasonable?
• Are shareholder or partner basis calculations correct?
• Are distributions being handled properly?
• Is the client taking advantage of available retirement-plan strategies?
• Are there depreciation opportunities?
• Could charitable giving be structured more efficiently?
• Are there capital-gain or Roth-conversion planning opportunities?
• Are there multistate issues that require attention?
• What should we be discussing with this client before the end of the year?

We expect our tax professionals to think, investigate, communicate, and advise .

Primary Responsibilities

• Independently manage an assigned portfolio of individual and business clients.
• Prepare complex federal and state tax returns, including:
• • Form 1040 – Individual Income Tax Returns
  • Form 1065 – Partnership Returns
  • Form 1120-S – S Corporation Returns
  • Form 1120 – C Corporation Returns
  • Form 709 – Gift Tax Returns
  • Form 990 – Tax-Exempt Organization Returns, when applicable
• Prepare and assist with review of tax returns completed by other team members based upon experience level.
• Provide proactive year-round tax-planning support.
• Prepare tax projections and estimated-tax recommendations.
• Identify planning opportunities involving:
• • S corporations
  • Partnerships
  • Reasonable compensation
  • Shareholder and partner basis
  • Business distributions
  • Retirement plans
  • Capital gains
  • Depreciation
  • Charitable giving
  • Multistate taxation
• Review general ledgers, trial balances, reconciliations, financial statements, depreciation schedules, and supporting documentation.
• Identify and resolve discrepancies between bookkeeping records and tax reporting.
• Research federal and state tax issues independently.
• Respond to IRS and state tax notices.
• Assist clients with tax-resolution matters when appropriate.
• Communicate tax matters clearly and professionally directly to clients.
• Monitor filing deadlines, estimated payments, extensions, and other compliance requirements.
• Collaborate with accounting personnel to ensure clean and accurate records before returns are completed.
• Work closely with Whalen Financial advisors when tax decisions affect investment, retirement, estate, insurance, or broader financial-planning strategies.
• Maintain complete, accurate, confidential, and well-organized client records.
• Take ownership of assigned work through completion and follow-up.

Required Qualifications

• Active Enrolled Agent credential in good standing.
• Minimum 5 years of recent professional tax experience .
• Minimum 3 years of experience independently preparing complex individual and business returns .
• Demonstrated experience with Forms 1040, 1065, 1120-S, and 1120 .
• Strong working knowledge of:
• • Individual taxation
  • S corporation taxation
  • Partnership taxation
  • K-1 reporting
  • Shareholder and partner basis
  • Reasonable compensation
  • Business distributions
  • Depreciation
  • Estimated taxes
  • Capital gains
• Experience reviewing general ledgers and financial information before preparing business returns.
• Experience independently communicating tax matters directly to clients.
• Experience managing multiple client relationships and filing deadlines simultaneously.
• Ability to research unfamiliar tax matters and develop a supported recommendation.
• Experience responding to federal and state tax notices.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• High standards for accuracy, professionalism, responsiveness, and client service.

Preferred Experience

Experience working with:

• Affluent or high-net-worth individuals
• Business owners
• Executives
• Retirees
• Closely held businesses
• Multistate taxpayers
• Complex investment portfolios
• Wealth-management clients

is strongly preferred.

Who This Role Is Not For

This role is not appropriate for candidates whose experience consists primarily of seasonal tax preparation, data entry, basic W-2 individual returns, or highly supervised tax work.

We are not hiring someone with the expectation that we will teach them how to become a tax professional.

We are looking for an experienced EA who can immediately take responsibility for assigned clients, recognize issues, ask intelligent questions, identify planning opportunities, and know when an issue should be escalated to senior tax leadership.

Why Whalen

Most tax professionals see only one piece of a client's financial life.

At Whalen, you will work within an organization that sees the entire picture.

Our clients rely on us for investment management, retirement planning, tax strategy, estate-planning coordination, insurance, and broader family-office services.

That means the tax work you perform can directly influence decisions being implemented across the client's financial plan.

Whalen Financial is growing rapidly and continues to add significant new client relationships and assets each year.

We intend to build the infrastructure and team today that will support the much larger organization we expect to become tomorrow.

For the right tax professional, this creates significant opportunity for growth, responsibility, and long-term career development.

Compensation and Benefits

• $75,000–$90,000 base salary, depending upon experience
• Performance-based bonus opportunity
• Employer-sponsored benefits
• Paid time off
• Paid holidays
• Full-time, year-round employment
• Established and growing client base
• Continuing education and professional-development support
• Long-term opportunity within a rapidly growing wealth-management organization

To Apply

Please submit your résumé along with a brief summary addressing:

1. Your experience preparing complex individual and business tax returns.
2. Your experience with Forms 1040, 1065, 1120-S, and 1120.
3. The types of client relationships you currently manage independently.
4. Your experience providing proactive tax-planning recommendations.
5. An example of a tax issue or planning opportunity you identified without being directed to do so.

We are intentionally selective about this hire.

We are looking for a high-performing Enrolled Agent who takes ownership, thinks independently, communicates well with clients, and wants to become part of a growing integrated wealth-management and family-office organization.

\nCompany Description

We are looking for a high-performing CPA who wants to help build the tax-advisory capability of a growing national wealth-management and family-office organization.

Company Description

We are looking for a high-performing CPA who wants to help build the tax-advisory capability of a growing national wealth-management and family-office organization.