Specialist, Payroll Tax

Nationwide•Columbus, OH

8d•$88,000 - $164,000•Hybrid

About The Position

As a team member in Finance at Nationwide, a Fortune 100 company with nearly $70 billion in annual sales, the opportunities are endless! Let Nationwide help create your career journey! At Nationwide®, “on your side” goes beyond just words. Our customers are at the center of everything we do and we’re looking for associates who are passionate about delivering extraordinary care. The Payroll Tax Specialist supports the functional manager in overseeing the accurate and timely remittance and filing of payroll taxes across 48 state withholding and unemployment jurisdictions and approximately 1,800 municipal authorities on a bi‑weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis. Responsibilities include validating tax payments, resolving tax notices and special assessments, and ensuring full compliance with all regulatory requirements. In addition to core operational duties, this role serves as the primary point of contact for projects, representing the team in discussions with business partners, and leading the research and resolution of payroll accounting reconciliation items. The specialist partners closely with system teams to implement configuration updates and resolve system-related issues, while also driving continuous improvement initiatives across the department. The role performs monthly balancing and analytical reviews to confirm that taxable wages and tax liabilities are accurately reflected across Workday, MasterTax, and associated platforms. Success in this position requires strong problem‑solving skills, sound judgment, and the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast‑paced environment. The Payroll Tax Specialist contributes to both operational excellence and strategic initiatives, supporting scalable and efficient payroll tax operations. This is a hybrid position located in Columbus Ohio and you will be required to come into the office two days per week. This role does not qualify for employer sponsored work authorization. Nationwide does not participate in the STEM OPT extension program. #LI-CA1 #nationwidefinance #payrolltax Job Description Summary Our team collaborates to deliver results that regularly surpass our goals, we reward creative ideas, adopt technology and emphasize continuous improvement. Do you have a flexible approach, willingness to view issues holistically and have a knack for organizing information and workflows? If so, we want to hear from you! As a Specialist, you'll play a leading role in all aspects of the tax life cycle (compliance, accounting, audits, planning and projects). We'll count on you to help in the tax planning process; prepare assigned tax returns; coordinate and reviews tax returns, supporting schedules and federal survey input; supervise and assist in compliance programs for federal, state and local taxes for the insurance, subsidiary and affiliated companies.

Requirements

Undergraduate degree with studies in accounting, tax or other related field
Minimum of four years tax or accounting experience in a corporate or public accounting setting.
Federal, state and local tax law.
Statutory and/or GAAP accounting.
Ability to learn tax systems and apply technology to continually improve and manage risks.
Self-starter who is able to prioritize work through team collaboration and with little day-to-day supervision.
Inquisitive nature and desire to learn general and insurance tax concepts; asks questions and challenge answers.
Self-reviews own work for accuracy.
Must possess decision-making skills for problem identification and solution recommendation.
Can apply technology and tax rules to complicated calculations with large amounts of data.
Excellent communication skills in a diverse and fast paced environment.

Nice To Haves

Progress toward CPA certification, master's degree in tax or law degree preferred
Insurance or financial services experience preferred.
Other criteria, including leadership skills, proficiencies and experiences may take precedence.

Responsibilities

Reviews or prepares prepare complex federal, state and local income tax calculations, returns and estimates, including consolidations.
Adapts to changing assignments because cross-training is integral to our culture and professional development strategy.
Reviews complex quarterly and annual tax provision calculations.
Reviews output from tax software and uses analytics to identify areas of focus.
May review or prepare complex statutory deferred tax asset admittance calculations and drives preparation and review of GAAP and statutory financial documents and external auditor support.
Researches and prepares response to IRS and/or state information requests.
Researches and evaluates technical position and propose alternatives.
Works closely with IRS or state audit Coordinator to assess risk and respond appropriately.
Approaches work and assignments with a broad view and seeks opportunities to improve tax positions and reduce risk.
Communicates these ideas clearly and concisely to senior leadership for consideration.
Supports planning projects and lean in to new opportunities large and small.
Champions technology and operational improvement culture.
Active participant in Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt/ Black Belt projects.
Strong capacity to use technology in our fast paced and highly automated environment.
Asks questions, seeks knowledge and demonstrates a desire to learn tax.
Acts as a technical resource for business partners.
Actively leads department educational opportunities and coaches and mentors Tax Analysts technical development.
May perform other responsibilities as assigned.

Benefits

medical/dental/vision
life insurance
short and long term disability coverage
paid time off with newly hired associates receiving a minimum of 18 days paid time off each full calendar year pro-rated quarterly based on hire date
nine paid holidays
8 hours of Lifetime paid time off
8 hours of Unity Day paid time off
401(k) with company match
company-paid pension plan
business casual attire