Tax Partner - UHNW (West Coast)

Mercer Advisors

4d•$212,500 - $250,000•Hybrid

About The Position

At Mercer Advisors, our purpose is to amplify and simplify our clients’ financial lives through a fully integrated family office offering. We bring together fiduciary professionals across disciplines to do the best work of their careers—as one unified team committed to doing what is right for clients. We continue to reinvest in our people and platform so that our growth creates more opportunities for teammates and more value for clients. Regis is Mercer Advisors’ offering for ultra-high net worth families with complex, multi-generational wealth. These families expect a highly coordinated advisory experience and a level of judgment, responsiveness, discretion, and technical sophistication comparable to a dedicated family office. Our professionals work together across investments, financial planning, estate planning, tax, risk management, and family office services to make every client feel like our only client. We are seeking an exceptional Tax Partner – Regis to lead the tax relationship for a select group of Regis families. The Tax Partner will advise on tax strategy and planning, coordinate implementation, and remain closely involved with the family’s tax reporting. In some engagements, Mercer will prepare the returns. In others, the Tax Partner will work with the family’s existing CPA firm or internal tax professionals, reviewing significant strategies, positions, and returns as appropriate. Regardless of who handles compliance, the Tax Partner will be an active member of the family’s advisory team and will make sure tax considerations are addressed as part of the family’s broader financial and estate plan.

Requirements

CPA license required; advanced degree in taxation, law degree, or comparable technical credential strongly preferred.
12–15+ years of progressive tax experience, with significant responsibility for ultra-high net worth individuals and families, their closely held businesses, trusts, investment entities, and family office structures.
Experience leading complex client relationships and coordinating tax planning and compliance across multiple entities, jurisdictions, and professional advisors.
Deep knowledge of individual, fiduciary, partnership, corporate, estate, gift, and state and local taxation, including advanced planning strategies commonly used by ultra-high net worth families.
Experience identifying cross-border tax and reporting issues and working effectively with international tax specialists; direct technical expertise in all international areas is not required.
Experience managing significant tax notices, examinations, and controversy matters, including coordination with tax counsel and other specialists.
Meaningful experience advising entrepreneurs, business owners, executives, investors, and multi-generational families through liquidity events, business succession, wealth transfer, charitable planning, and other significant transactions.
Ability to analyze complex facts, focus on the issues that matter, develop practical alternatives, and make a clear recommendation.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to explain sophisticated tax matters in plain language.
Strong organizational skills, responsiveness, discretion, and the ability to manage competing priorities and follow matters through to completion.
Demonstrated ability to lead and develop high-performing tax professionals and to create a culture of accountability, collaboration, technical excellence, and exceptional service.
Comfort working as part of an integrated advisory team and within a regulated RIA environment. Experience with a family office, multi-family office, wealth management firm, national accounting firm, or sophisticated private client practice is strongly preferred.
Unquestioned integrity and a strong commitment to confidentiality, sound risk management, and putting the client’s interests first.

Nice To Haves

advanced degree in taxation, law degree, or comparable technical credential strongly preferred.
Experience with a family office, multi-family office, wealth management firm, national accounting firm, or sophisticated private client practice is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as the lead tax advisor for a select group of Regis families and take responsibility for the quality, coordination, responsiveness, and overall experience of the tax relationship.
Understand each family’s goals, ownership structure, businesses, investments, trusts, charitable activities, liquidity needs, and succession plans, and use that knowledge to develop a practical, multi-year tax strategy.
Lead year-round tax planning, including projections, estimated tax and liquidity planning, entity and compensation strategies, charitable planning, and advanced wealth transfer and investment strategies. Relevant experience should include matters involving GRATs, IDGTs, family limited partnerships and valuation discounts, qualified small business stock under Section 1202, qualified opportunity zones, private placement life insurance, and similar strategies used by ultra-high net worth families.
Identify planning opportunities and risks arising from business transactions, investment activity, concentrated positions, real estate, carried interests, equity compensation, major charitable gifts, residency changes, and changes in tax law.
Identify cross-border tax issues, including foreign trusts and entities, PFICs, GILTI, FATCA and FBAR reporting, expatriation, and treaty matters. The Tax Partner need not be the specialist in every area but must recognize the issue early, understand its significance, and bring in the right resources.
Help the family determine the appropriate role for Mercer in the compliance process. When Mercer prepares the returns, oversee the work for the family and its related entities. When another CPA firm or the client’s internal tax team prepares the returns, stay involved in the planning process and review significant positions and returns at a level appropriate to the engagement.
Coordinate the tax calendar and division of responsibilities among Mercer, the family office, and the family’s other tax professionals. Anticipate information needs and help avoid missed elections, inconsistent reporting, unnecessary penalties, and last-minute surprises.
Carry planning through to implementation, including required elections, entity formation or restructuring, transaction reporting, basis and tax attribute tracking, documentation, and other follow-up items.
Oversee significant federal and state tax notices, examinations, and controversy matters. Develop the response strategy, coordinate with counsel and other specialists when needed, and keep the family and advisory team informed through resolution.
Lead tax discussions with clients and explain complex matters clearly. Present realistic alternatives, quantify the tax and cash-flow consequences where possible, and give the family a practical recommendation.
Work closely with Regis wealth advisors and Mercer professionals in estate planning, investments, financial planning, insurance, and family office services so that tax advice is coordinated with the family’s overall plan.
Collaborate with the family’s outside CPAs, internal tax professionals, attorneys, trustees, investment bankers, valuation professionals, controllers, and other advisors. Work constructively within established relationships while providing an independent and informed tax perspective.
Build trusted relationships with family members across generations and handle sensitive financial and family matters with discretion and good judgment.
Lead and develop the tax professionals supporting Regis engagements. Set clear expectations, review work at the appropriate level, provide timely feedback, and make sure the team follows through on its commitments.
Manage staffing, engagement economics, billing, risk, and documentation while maintaining the high level of service expected by Regis families.
Participate in prospective client meetings and help Regis leadership continue to improve the tax service model, team, technology, and client experience.

Benefits

Company Paid Basic Life & AD&D Insurance
Company Paid Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Insurance
Supplemental Life & AD&D; Short-Term Disability; Accident; Critical Illness; and Hospital Indemnity Insurance
Three Cigna medical plans offerings including two High Deductible Health Plans and a Traditional Co-Pay medical plan.
Kaiser Medical plans available in California
Health Savings Account (HSA) with company contributions if enrolled in either HDHP medical plan.
Two comprehensive Dental Plans
Vision Insurance Plan
Dependent Care Savings Account for child and dependent care.
14 Company Paid Holidays including a full week off at Thanksgiving.
Generous paid time off program for vacation and sick days
Employee Assistance Plan
Family Medical Leave
Paid Parental Leave (8 weeks)
Maternity benefits utilizing company paid STD, any supplemental STD, plus Parental Leave (8 weeks) to provide time for recovery, baby bonding, and enjoying your family time.
Adoption Assistance Reimbursement Program
Company Paid Concierge Services for you and your loved ones for the spectrum of caring needs for your aging parents, young children, life’s challenges and more.
401(k) Retirement Plan with both Traditional and Roth plans with per pay period match as well as an after-tax option
Pet Insurance
Personalized financial planning and guidance from Mercer Advisors professionals, offered at preferred employee pricing