Equipment Finance Tax Specialist

Fifth Third Bank • Cincinnati, OH

3d • $71,100 - $145,900 • Onsite

About The Position

The Equipment Finance Tax Specialist reviews complex commercial lease transactions to ensure proper sales and property tax compliance and mitigate tax and legal risk for the bank. The role operates in a multi-jurisdictional environment and includes tax and accounting research, compliance work, and customer service. It supports the commercial leasing business, Corporate Tax, Finance, and other Bancorp departments, including through audits, reconciliations, customer disputes, and process-improvement and automation initiatives. Additional duties may be assigned as priorities change.

Requirements

• 7–10 years of accounting and/or compliance tax experience.
• Experience in the leasing industry or a comparable industry.
• Compliance tax experience in sales and use tax or property tax.
• Associate's degree required.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Strong customer service orientation.
• Excellent analytical ability.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office products.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor's degree in Business, such as Business Administration, Finance, or Accounting.
• Experience with InfoLease or CCH.
• Working toward a CMI designation or another related certification in the compliance tax field.

Responsibilities

• Review and analyze pending leases for sales and property tax treatment, and provide accurate tax codes for new lease requests.
• Conduct post-booking internal audits of new lease setup in the system of record.
• Review and research regulatory and statutory changes to sales and property tax law and assess their impact on the leasing process.
• Research state regulations related to tax issues raised during dispute resolution.
• Facilitate sales and property tax refunds with customers.
• Maintain and improve sales tax resources for the commercial leasing sales force, including communication of new and updated tax regulations.
• Provide guidance to the line of business during the lease documentation process.
• Coordinate sales tax amendment requests with the Corporate Sales Tax team arising from customer disputes or errors, supporting timely and accurate amended returns or appeals.
• Support the Corporate Tax team in responding to sales tax audit requests by compiling lease information and researching applicable tax regulations.
• Manage the relationship with the property tax vendor, including asset data review, data exchange, return review, billing issues and collections, and annual SOX reviews.
• Help coordinate amended returns or appeals arising from property tax disputes or double assessments.
• Assist Corporate Tax and other Bancorp departments with acquisitions and other due diligence requirements.
• Contribute to initiatives to improve data accuracy and reporting efficiency.
• Coordinate with Finance and/or Corporate Tax to ensure accurate accounting of sales and property tax activities and compile reconciliation data.
• Facilitate sales tax reconciliation for the syndicated portfolio and support the accounting function as needed.
• Work with the Corporate Tax Lease Administration Specialist to compile sales tax data for periodic filing on serviced syndication accounts.
• Support projects to automate and integrate syndication accounts for sales and property tax reporting.
• Research and prepare monthly property tax reconciliations, provide journal entries, and complete RSR as necessary.
• Research customer disputes concerning sales and property tax billings and recommend resolutions with management and other available resources.
• Help research and respond to customer account payment application issues.
• Support commercial staff to promote customer service and teamwork.
• Perform other duties as assigned and adapt to changing tasks and priorities.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits programs designed to support employees' and families' physical, financial, emotional, and social well-being.
• Eligible to participate in an incentive compensation plan, with payment based on company, line of business, and/or individual performance.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Associate degree