Role and industry
Tax Associate (staff level, including busy season) Recruiters for Private client tax practices
No postings. No stacks of resumes. No chasing. You interview a short list.
Financial Headhunters: When associates struggle to consolidate family entity filings your firm wastes partner time on technical hand-holding and constant review of basic documentation.
This is what we do all day: recruit accounting, finance, banking and insurance professionals.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
Need someone now? Call 305-306-4829.
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
- Controller
- CFO
- VP Finance
- FP&A Director
- Accounting Manager
- Director of Accounting
- Assistant Controller
- Tax Director
- Treasury Manager
- Internal Audit Director
- Senior Accountant
- Financial Analyst
- Head of Financial Reporting
- Commercial Lender
- Chief Credit Officer
- Business Systems Finance Lead
- No upfront fee
- Pay only if you hire
- Accounting, finance, banking and insurance
- We reach people who aren’t on job boards
- Replacement terms on standard searches
01
What does this hire really come down to?
Who prepares individual 1040s and partnership 1065s for private wealth clients? You need someone who understands how individual 1040s connect to partnership 1065s and trust filings. How do they produce consolidated reporting across entities without needing constant technical hand-holding?
Your new hire will spend their days reconciling K-1s and tracking basis across multiple layers of family holdings. They must own their workpaper trail. If a partner needs to explain a tax position to a family member, this associate must have the underlying documents ready and organized for immediate review.
Ask them these questions: How do you handle a change in tax law across five different entity types simultaneously? Can you explain the difference between a capital account and tax basis in a complex trust structure? What do you do when a K-1 arrives late from a third-party investment fund?
When scoping this hire you must define how much autonomous reporting you expect from day one. Ask the candidate to walk you through a specific tax workpaper they prepared for a complex partnership return last season. Request they explain the precise logic for a book to tax adjustment they encountered. Do not accept vague descriptions of firm processes. Watch for the candidate to detail the software fields utilized and the exact tax code sections applied. Ask them to describe a time a K-1 package was incomplete and how they identified the missing data points. If they rely on superiors to flag errors in their schedules they are not ready for this firm. The best way to vet this is to provide a sanitized snippet of a current file and ask them to list the immediate red flags or missing basis information they see.
02
What do we check before you see anyone?
We verify these six areas to save time and check ability for private client work.
We hold a brief call to define your specific tax software version and document management system. We ask candidates how they distinguish between book and tax income when preparing complex K-1s. We check if they prefer a heavy review process or a self-correction cycle before submittal. We discuss the tradeoff between speed on routine filings and accuracy on complex trust distributions. We ask how they track basis carryforwards across different filing years. We verify their recent hands-on experience with specific tax forms for partnerships and trusts. We identify if they handle filing deadlines by working independently or require oversight.
- 01Software proficiencyWe confirm they have logged at least two full cycles in CCH Axcess, UltraTax, GoSystem, or Lacerte specifically for complex returns.
- 02Credential statusWe verify an active PTIN and current IRS status for Enrolled Agents or progress toward CPA licensure for audit-focused associates.
- 03Technical depthWe test their grasp of multi-entity tax coordination, specifically the movement of income between trusts, partnerships, and personal accounts.
- 04Document hygieneWe review their ability to maintain clear, audit-ready workpaper files that follow standardized naming and filing conventions.
- 05DiscretionWe check their awareness of confidentiality requirements inherent in family office environments where information sensitivity is extreme.
- 06Reporting capabilityWe verify they can produce clean, accurate consolidated schedules without requiring extensive rework from senior leadership.
03
Where do we find them?
We source candidates from mid-sized CPA firms, dedicated private wealth tax practices, and boutique accounting groups. We look for individuals currently trapped in high-volume, repetitive filing roles who want more complex, multi-layered work. Candidates move when they reach a ceiling in firms that prioritize tax volume over deep analytical work or when they want to specialize in the specific nuances of trust and partnership taxation found in private wealth.
We also evaluate associates from audit firms who have worked extensively on EBP or nonprofit portfolios, as they possess the necessary discipline for strict documentation and workpaper rigor. They often seek a transition into tax preparation to gain a broader view of family financial planning.
04
Which hiring mistakes should you watch for?
- 01Hiring from large public audit firms without checking for specific tax code fluency; audit skills do not automatically map to complex partnership return preparation.
- 02Ignoring poor software habits; someone who does not use standardized firm tax software workflows correctly will slow your entire filing season down.
- 03Failing to vet for communication style; these associates must interact with sensitive clients, and an inability to explain a tax notice clearly is a liability.
05
The search in three steps
- 01Initial discoveryWe identify candidates with relevant tax software and multi-entity experience from our existing professional networks.
- 02Technical auditWe verify their ability to handle partnership and trust complexities through targeted screening of their past project experience.
- 03Final presentationYou review candidates who meet your technical criteria, with our team available to coordinate interviews on your schedule.
06
Which related hiring decisions are worth comparing?
How your Tax Associate (staff level, including busy season) search runs
How does The Six-Step Search work?
One sequence, from a well-defined seat to a shortlist you can judge.
Search Calibration
We start with a call about the seat, the books, the owners and the people the hire will work with. We learn what the role must fix in the first year and what would make a candidate wrong even if the resume looks right.
You get: A written search brief: scope, must-haves, deal-breakers and the pay range, agreed with you.
Market Mapping
We map the companies and institutions where the right people already work: similar size, similar ownership, similar complexity, in your market and in others.
You get: The target list of companies and institutions we will search, reviewed with you before outreach.
Professional Contact Intelligence
We find direct ways to reach the people on the map. Most are employed and not reading job boards, so reaching them takes real research.
You get: Direct routes to people who are not on job boards, researched for your search.
Persistent Personalized Outreach
We call and write to people individually and follow up. Interest varies, so we discuss the actual opportunity rather than promising a particular response.
You get: One-to-one conversations about your actual role, followed up, never a mass email blast.
Live Candidate Qualification
We speak with every candidate before you do. We check scope, systems, reporting lines, compensation expectations, location and why they would move.
You get: Only candidates we have spoken with, checked on scope, systems, pay, location and motive.
Candidate Intelligence and Process Support
You receive a short written brief on each finalist covering what they have done, where they are thin and what they want. Then we help with interviews, references and the offer.
You get: A short written brief on each finalist, plus help with interviews, references, counteroffer risk and the offer.
Questions people ask
Do I pay before hiring a tax associate who manages consolidated reporting for private entities?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
How do you distinguish between seasonal and full-time tax associates?
We filter candidates based on their availability and interest in either a long-term permanent role or a specific commitment for peak filing seasons. Each candidate's preference is confirmed during our initial outreach.
Can you find candidates with specific industry experience like construction or EBP?
We search for candidates who managed tax or audit workpapers in these specific niches. This confirms they know the tax challenges of those industries.
How do we agree on the terms of service?
All terms regarding fees, placements, and potential replacements are clearly documented in a written agreement. We only begin the search once these terms are signed by both parties.
What is the fee for a Tax Associate (staff level, including busy season) search?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. The fee and terms are agreed in writing before we start.
How soon will I see a Tax Associate (staff level, including busy season) shortlist?
It depends on the seat, the location and the pay. We give you an honest read after the calibration call and we do not promise dates we cannot control.
What about counteroffers on a Tax Associate (staff level, including busy season) hire?
We ask every Tax Associate (staff level, including busy season) candidate early why they would move and what their employer might do to keep them. Counteroffer risk goes in the written brief before you make an offer.
What is your guarantee?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What don't you do?
We do not post your Tax Associate (staff level, including busy season) job and forward whoever applies. We do not send stacks of unscreened resumes, and we do not recruit outside accounting, finance, banking and insurance.
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No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
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