Tax Manager

Cornell University • Ithaca, MI

36d • $106,881 - $130,633 • Remote

About The Position

The Tax Manager serves as the institution’s primary resource for tax compliance reporting and related advisory to the campus community, as well as administrative and accounting matters related to federal, state, local, and international tax compliance. This role involves managing the tax team and payroll staff, overseeing tax reporting compliance and strategy, researching legislative tax developments, and ensuring compliance with tax regulations for University activities, including ancillary and unrelated business activities. The Tax Manager will also advise faculty, staff, and students on tax consequences, monitor international activities, review accounting systems and contracts for tax considerations, and ensure timely preparation and filing of global tax returns. Additionally, this role involves coordinating responses to tax-related information requests, providing decision support to various departments, acting as a point of contact for tax compliance vendors, preparing or reviewing global tax returns, providing tax training, and managing tax audits and inquiries. A key aspect of this role is providing advice to the international faculty/student population on U.S. income and employment tax withholding, reporting, and tax treaty benefits. The position also requires fostering a culture of belonging and a healthy work environment, and may require working additional hours outside standard university operating hours, including nights, weekends, and holidays as business needs require. All employees are accountable for supporting the organization’s values of collegiality, integrity, initiative, excellence, civility, and stewardship, and supporting inclusive and sustainable practices. Employees will participate in performance evaluations.

Requirements

• Resourceful and team-oriented professional with basic understanding of accounting rules and demonstrable experience with preparing or managing tax compliance in a complex global organization.
• Passion for detailed work and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in federal, multi-state, and local tax compliance.
• At least 5 years of experience preparing tax returns and related filings or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Strong knowledge of the US federal and/or state income or indirect tax compliance, laws and principals.
• Foundational understanding of international income or VAT/GST tax concepts and issues.
• Proficiency with personal computers, including advanced use of spreadsheet and database software.
• Demonstrated ability to oversee tax-related systems and ensure data integrity.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to effectively present complex tax concepts to a broad range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively as part of a team; flexible, well-organized, and able to perform effectively under pressure.
• Ability to manage both large, institution-wide initiatives and complex individual assignments within established deadlines.
• Experience supporting and assisting in the defense of tax authority audits.
• Ability to develop and implement policies and procedures to mitigate tax risk.
• Demonstrated discretion, sound judgment, and ability to handle highly sensitive and confidential information.
• Strong problem-solving and negotiation skills, with the ability to identify issues and drive timely, effective resolution.
• Demonstrated skill in understanding cultural differences.

Nice To Haves

• JD, MBA, or MS with a concentration in Taxation
• CPA designation
• Prior supervisory or team leadership experience.
• Proficiency with using AI tools for tax research.
• Demonstrated experience as a tax return preparer or manager in a high-volume in-house tax compliance department or public accounting team.
• Demonstrated experience in one or more of the following areas: Federal and/or state taxation of not-for-profit organizations and related issues, State income and indirect taxes, Managing payroll tax compliance, Managing federal and/or state tax audits.
• Experience within a major public accounting firm serving higher education or non-profit clients, or in-house experience on a non-profit tax team.

Responsibilities

• Providing management, guidance, and oversight to members of the tax team and payroll staff on tax matters.
• Managing tax reporting compliance and strategy, including researching, monitoring, and interpreting current and proposed legislative tax developments, regulations, court cases, and issues related to colleges and universities.
• Reviewing and monitoring University activities, especially ancillary services, and potential unrelated business activities, to ensure compliance with tax regulations.
• Researching and advising faculty, staff, and students on the tax consequences of new, existing and proposed activities, including but not limited to, unrelated business income tax, nonresident alien tax, sales tax and payroll tax issues.
• Monitoring the university’s activity outside the U.S. and managing foreign tax reporting responsibilities.
• Reviewing the University accounting system, contracts, and transactions to identify and advise on tax considerations; evaluating risks with an understanding of the budgetary impact of compliance on university departments.
• Ensuring all global applicable tax returns are prepared and paid/filed by the University and certain of its affiliates/subsidiaries on a timely basis with the appropriate taxing authority.
• Coordinating and responding to all tax-related information requests from internal and external parties.
• Providing sound decision support for specific transactions and/or circumstances for payroll, accounting, and other financial departments as well as supply management, fundraising areas and other Cornell offices as needed.
• Act as the primary point of contact for tax compliance vendors.
• Preparing or reviewing the University’s global tax returns, including but not limited to unrelated business income tax/corporate income tax, sales/use tax, VAT/GST, payroll tax, and excise tax returns.
• Providing training to the campus, business service center staff, and financial administrative staff concerning tax and other related regulatory and policy issues.
• Acting as the primary point of contact for tax audits, inquiries, and notices, ensuring timely and complete responses.
• Providing advice to international faculty/student population, visiting researchers and guest lecturers, including guidance on U.S. income and employment tax withholding and reporting requirements for payments made to nonresident aliens, and the application of tax treaty benefits.

Benefits

• Educational benefits
• Access to a plethora of wellness programs
• Employee discounts with local and national retail brands
• Health care options to choose from
• Generous paid leave provisions: 3 weeks of vacation, 14 university paid holidays (including end of year winter break through New Year’s Day)
• Superior retirement contributions

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager