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Accounting Jobs Get Stamp of Approval from CNN/Money Best Jobs in America Ranking

Good news for accountants of all stripes – CNN/Money reports that jobs you currently or could possibly hold down are some of the best in all the land!

The bad news is that, compared to last year, the number of accounting jobs in the Top 100 is considerably less. Jobs not making this year’s cut include: Senior Financial Analyst; Finance Director; Senior Internal Auditor; Senior Tax Accountant; Financial Analysis Manager; Financial Controller.

You could chalk this up to semantics (we don’t trust CNN o to anything accounting-related) but it’s entirely possible that there was an overwhelming outcry from people in those positions that are completely miserable.

But that’s neither her nor there. Let’s get to this year’s goods, shall we?

Top 100
9. CPA (#6 last year) – “Maintain financial records and analyze the numbers. Especially in this time of economic turmoil, CPAs are needed to make sense of increasingly complex financial transactions — from buyouts to businesses grappling with changing tax laws.” Also: Popular target for blamestorming and/or beatdowns, particularly by rich guys, faux-celebrity clients and washed-up athletes.


62. Tax Manager – “Participates in tax planning and research activities. Supervises accounting staff. Oversees tax returns and compliance for corporations, partnerships, trusts, and individuals.” In other words: makes sense of the enigma created by Congress.

69. Accounting Director– “Manages the accounting department’s daily activities. Collects and provides information for audit inquiries and gives assistance to auditors. Assists in the development and implementation of policies and procedures relating to financial management, budget and accounting.” Must have: High tolerability for answering lots of stupid questions.

78. Auditing Manager – “Determines financial status of establishments and prepares financial reports concerning operating procedures. Supervises staff and examines and analyzes accounting records.” Critical skill: Willingness to ask the same awkward questions over and over and over.

Median Pay
19. Accounting Director – $119,000

Top Pay
18. Accounting Director – $169,000

Job Security
6. Tax Manager (69.6% say their job is secure)

Future Growth
6. Tax Manager (89% say jobs like theirs will grow in the future)

As you might expect, none of the accounting jobs were anywhere to be found on the low stress, flexibility, satisfaction or benefit to society lists. Can’t have it all now, can you?

Best Jobs in America [CNN/Money]
Earlier:
Making Sense of Robert Half’s 2011 Salary Guide

Job of the Day: J.P. Morgan Needs a Tax Manager

J.P. Morgan is looking for an experienced tax professional to fill at Registered Investment Company Tax Manager position in its Boston office.

Qualifications include five to seven years of RIC tax experience with three years of supervisory experience required. A CPA and/or MST is strongly preferred.


Company: J.P. Morgan

Title: RIC Tax Manager

Location: Boston, MA

Responsibilities: Plan and monitor tax department activities and provide review and guidance in regards to the preparation of: Fiscal and excise tax provisions, including complete and accurate disclosures (ie. ROCSOP, 60 day IRS Notices) for financial statement purposes, as well as, verifying the accuracy of proposed excise and subchapter M distributions; Federal (Forms 1120RIC, 8613, 1065, K-1 and other applicable filings) and state tax returns; Year-end shareholder information in accordance with IRS timetables; Identify potential tax issues and provide guidance on the tax treatments of complex financial instruments and transactions; When necessary, perform a review of the IRS regulated investment company (RIC) qualification tests and provide guidance under IRC section 852; Monitor federal and state tax law changes by referencing resources such as CCH and becoming involved in outside tax committees; Through research, propose enhancements to fund policies and procedures to address evolving RIC and security tax laws; Develop supervisors and staff through technical training and providing assignments that are challenging and thought provoking. In addition, allow supervisors to become more visible to the client through their participation in meetings and involvement in client specific issues; Conduct semi annual performance reviews for supervisors by providing timely and concise feedback. This process includes developing clear objectives and a development plan for each supervisor to follow; Hire and maintain, a well educated, experienced diverse workforce.

Qualifications/Skills: BS in Accountancy or Finance is required, CPA and/or MST is preferred; Five to Seven Years of RIC Tax experience required; Three years of supervisory experience necessary; Thorough knowledge of RIC taxation and security tax law; Solid understanding of general tax concepts outside of the RIC field (ie calculation of foreign tax credit limitation, taxability of reorganizations etc.); Ability to challenge the status quo;

See the entire description over at the GC Career Center and visit the main page for all your job search needs.

Job of the Day: Macquarie Needs a Tax Manager

Macquarie is looking for an experienced tax professional to fill a tax manager position in its Detroit office.

Responsibilities include managing compliance filings for sales/use taxes, personal property tax and business occupation taxes.

Qualifications include 5 to 7 years experience with management experience desired. Experience with Oracle is a plus.


Company: Macquarie

Title: Tax Manager

Location: Detroit, MI

Description: Managing indirect tax compliance filings: Sales/Use Tax, Personal Property Tax, Business & Occupation and Gross Receipts; Preparation and analysis of Tax Account Reconciliations; Leading and developing the tax compliance team; Initiating and implementing compliance process improvements.

Responsibilities: Supervise direct reports; Review sales/use tax returns for three Legal Entities; Monitor internal controls and procedures; Calculate tax on new leases; Maintain exemption/resale certificates; Review property tax returns for leased assets; Prepare fixed asset returns for various locations; Supervise administration of property tax rebills; Research and set up online filings; Correspond timely with taxing authorities as necessary; Oversee maintenance of Business Licenses & various Tax Calendars; Conduct and/or provide support for multi-state/local audits; Provide training and support to staff; G/L account reconciliation analysis – U.S. & Canada; Participate in special projects and due diligence assigned by VP-Tax; Respond to all Dept. questions regarding Tax Compliance

Qualifications/Skills: Bachelors degree in Accounting/Finance or related field; 5 – 7 years of Personal Property and/or Sales/Use tax Experience; Tax Management/Supervisory experience highly recommended; Consistently meets deadlines and objectives; Leasing experience; Strong analytical skills; Must have strong attention to detail & accuracy; Exceptional people skills; Working knowledge of tax software (Vertex; PTMS); Ability to prioritize workload to meet deadlines; Excellent communication skills (written, verbal and listening); Proficient in PC Excel, Access, & Word; Experience with Oracle a plus.

See the entire description over at the GC Career Center and visit the main page for all your job search needs.

Job of the Day: Vanguard Needs a Corporate Tax Accountant

Vanguard is looking for an experienced tax professional to join their team in its Valley Forge, PA location.

Responsibilities include preparing and filing of domestic and federal compliance related documentation for international subsidiaries, maintaining transfer pricing documentation and preparing and reviewing returns.

Candidates need a minimum of three years experience, two that are specific to tax compliance. CPA or Masters in tax is a plus.


Company: Vanguard

Title: Corporate Tax Accountant – International

Location: Valley Forge, PA

Responsibilities: Preparing and ensuring the timely filing of domestic and federal compliance related to international subsidiaries (Form 5471, FBAR form), including coordinating the timely receipt of key source documentation and the preparation of applicable tax work papers; Maintaining up-to-date transfer pricing documentation; Owning the responsibility for direct and indirect tax compliance (income tax, value added tax, goods and services tax, etc.); Coordinating the preparation and review of returns; Performing compliance reviews of Form W-8 in coordination with Accounts Payable Services, including the annual review of Form 1042 and Form 1042-S for foreign vendors; Assisting in the quarterly calculation of the global tax provision for foreign entities, including variance analysis and periodic projections; Owning the responsibility for the calculations of FIN 48 and FAS 5 tax exposure related to foreign issues (i.e., transfer pricing, subpart F, PE, etc.); Completing quarterly tax account reconciliations of foreign subsidiaries; Preparing tax footnotes for applicable foreign subsidiaries; Completing quarterly reconciliation of foreign subsidiary tax-related general ledger accounts; Maintaining work papers related to foreign subsidiaries, including earnings and profits, foreign tax pools, and subpart F detail; Preparing foreign tax credit calculations and related tax forms as required (Form 1118)

Qualifications/Skills: Undergraduate degree (accounting or finance preferred) or equivalent combination of training and work experience; Minimum of three years of general experiences, including two years directly related to accounting or tax experience; Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Master of Science in Taxation (MST) a plus; Knowledge of the financial services industry preferred; Proficiency with Microsoft Office.

See the entire description over at the GC Career Center and visit the main page for all your job search needs.

Job of the Day: J.P. Morgan Needs a Tax Manager

J.P. Morgan is looking for an experienced tax professional who has experience with registered investments companies (“RIC”) to fill a Tax Manager position in its Boston office.

The position requires a seven to ten years of RIC tax experience, with five years managerial experience and a CPA or MST is required. Big 4 experience is preferred.


Company: J.P. Morgan

Title: Tax Manager

Location: Boston, MA

Qualifications/Skills: BS in Accountancy or Finance is required, CPA or MST is required; Seven to Ten Years of RIC Tax experience required. Minimum of Five years of managerial experience required. Big four tax accounting experience or service provider experience is preferred.

See the entire description over at the GC Career Center and visit the main page for all your job search needs.

Job of the Day: Morgan Stanley Needs a Tax Associate

Morgan Stanley is looking for a tax associate with a specialty in real estate to join its alternative funds group in its Park Ridge, Illinois location.

The position requires a minimum of three years experience with public accounting experience and a Masters in Tax being a plus. CPA is preferred.


Company: Morgan Stanley

Title: Associate – Tax – Alternative Funds – Real Estate

Location: Park Ridge, IL

Description: Responsibilities include all aspects of tax compliance and coordination with others (including tax attorneys, outside counsel, business unit, etc.) regarding planning.

Responsibilities: Review of federal and state and local compliance from outside service provider including coordination and monitory to ensure accurate and timely; Supervise day-to-day activity of staff and perform efficient review of their work; Work with Operations and Controllers on gathering information; Assist as requested in the independent accountant’s financial statement audit and recurring tax provision processes; Assist with federal and state and local tax return audits and prepare responses to notices issued by taxing authorities; Participate in various personnel actions including, but not limited to performance appraisals; Identify opportunities for process improvements including technology advancements and coordinate with the MS Tax technology team to develop those enhancements; Develop and maintain relationships with various other departments.

Qualifications/Skills: Motivated, team oriented self starter who desires a broad range of tax issues and has the ability to work effectively and efficiently in an environment with all levels of personnel, adept at working in a fast-paced, deadline oriented environment; Willingness to be hands-on as well as a desire to supervise and develop staff; Excellent oral and written communications, analytical and organizational skills are required; Requires a minimum of three years of tax experience, with public accounting experience a plus. Prior experience in supervising positions a plus; Real Estate partnership experience required; Certification as a CPA preferred ; Requires bachelor’s degree, Master in Tax a plus but not required; Strong PC skills required

See the entire description over at the GC Career Center and visit the main page for all your job search needs.

Job of the Day: Citigroup Needs a Tax Analyst

Citigroup is looking for someone to join their CFO group as a Tax Lead Analyst in New York.

Main functions of the position include state and local tax research and planning for the company and its affiliates. It requires at 5 years of state income tax planning and analysis with a JD-LLM or CPA preferred.


Company: Citigroup

Title: Tax Lead Analyst

Location: New York, NY

Responsibilities: Assist in developing income/ franchise tax planning strategies to minimize state and local income taxes, with particular focus on New York City and New York State; Provide technical assistance to trading desks and other Corporate departments in those areas in which their operations are affected by state taxes; Analyze state tax effects for acquisitions, dispositions, capital markets transactions, and restructurings; Provide technical assistance to the state tax compliance and state tax audit groups; Consult with outside advisors as appropriate; Review state and local tax legislation, regulations, rulings, court decisions, to evaluate / quantify their impact on Citigroup, Inc and subsidiaries and help develop related planning strategies; State and Local tax planning related to income/ franchise taxes; Document FIN 48 State and Local income tax positions; Draft protests and other anticipatory litigation documents.

Qualifications/Skills: JD Degree, LLM – or – CPA preferred; 5+ years experience in state income tax planning/ analysis; Self directed, able to multitask, organized, able to meet deadlines and generally provide information in a timely manner; Excellent writing skills; Electronic research skills (Westlaw, RIA Checkpoint); Fully capable in MS Office suite of products.

See the entire description over at the GC Career Center and visit the main page for all your job search needs.

Job of the Day: Natixis Global Associates Needs a Fund Administrator

Natixis Global Associates is looking for an experienced tax professional to fill an AVP – Fund Administrator role in its Boston office.

Primary responsibilities include tax matters related to their mutual fund products. The position requires eight years experience with a CPA or advanced degree preferred.


Company: Natixis Global Associates

Title: AVP – Fund Administrator – TAX

Location: Boston, MA

Description: Reporting to the Deputy Treasurer, this individual will be responsible for overseeing, reviewing and completing certain department responsibilities. The focus will be on tax matters related to mutual funds.

Primary Responsibilities: Coordination and review of the department’s and vendor’s work on the following tax related items: Distribution schedule; Year end tax provisions; Fund distribution calculations; Tax related information included in the Financial statements and Form N-Q; Fund tax returns; Shareholder 1099s and related year-end shareholder reporting; Trustee and vendor 1099s; Research on the tax implications of new security types; Research on regulatory requirements and other tax matters; IRS compliance results; Communication between State Street, Tax Auditors, Marketing, Sales, and Product Departments.

Qualifications/Skills: Bachelor’s Degree in Finance or Accounting; An advanced degree or CPA is recommended, but not, required; Minimum of 8 to 10 years experience in the mutual fund industry is required, including direct tax experience and knowledge of fund administration, fund accounting and fund transfer agent functions and responsibilities; Project management experience is a must.

See the entire description over at the GC Career Center and visit the main page for all your job search needs.

Job of the Day: PwC Needs a Tax Manager

PricewaterhouseCoopers is looking for an experienced tax professional to join its Private Company Services (“PCS”) team. PCS helps private companies and their owners with tax planning an compliance decisions at all stages of the business.

The position requires five to seven years experience and is located in Chicago.


Company: PricewaterhouseCoopers

Title: Tax Manager

Location: Chicago, IL

Description: The Private Company Services (PCS) team is a dedicated group of professionals who focus on the audit, tax compliance and planning, and business advisory needs of public interest entities, and private companies and their owners. By helping private companies make strategic decisions throughout the business lifecycle, our PCS practice is designed to help clients improve cash flow and increase owners’ wealth accumulation. This includes access to capital markets, initial public offerings and assistance with growth into international markets. The team’s clients primarily reside in private equity portfolio companies and the manufacturing, retail, wholesale and distribution, professional services and construction industries.

Qualifications/Skills: 5 – 7 years of tax consulting or compliance experience is required.

See the entire description over at the GC Career Center and visit the main page for all your job search needs.

Job of the Day: Jefferson Wells Needs a Tax Fund Accountant

Jefferson Wells is looking for tax fund accountants to join its New York office. The position will have a number of responsibilities including preparation of corporate and partnership returns including those for hedge funds, private equity funds, real estate funds and investment advisors.

The position requires a minimum of nine years experience, including multi-national tax experience and a broad understanding of technical tax issues. CPA or EA certifications are preferred.


Company: Jefferson Wells

Title: Tax Fund Accountant

Compensation: 80,000-150,000

Location: New York, NY

Responsibilities: Prepare tax returns for S corporations, C corporations, and partnerships; Preparation of accounting records, and financial statements and tax returns for several investment partnerships; Reviewing and preparing yearly tax filings for Hedge Fund, Private Equity Funds, Real Estate Funds, and Funds’ general partners and investment managers; Performing security analysis and calculating various Fund tax adjustments; Preparation of Tax Form 1065 income tax returns and related K-1s and supporting schedules; prior experience with form 1120; Recording all accounting transactions of the fund and ensuring all investments are booked accurately; Preparation of limited partner capital calls and capital distributions; Researching tax treatment of complex financial instruments and corporate actions of Funds.

Qualifications/Skills: Experience with CorpTax software is required; Bachelor’s degree in relevant subject area required (accounting, auditing, information technology, sciences, taxation, finance etc.); Minimum nine years applicable experience in tax required (federal, state and local or international tax); Experience with multi-national corporate taxation preferred; Broad understanding of tax technical areas and a strong familiarity of FAS 109 preferred; CPA, MST, Enrolled Agent (EA) or Project Management (PMI) certifications preferred.

See the entire description over at the GC Career Center and visit the main page for all your job search needs.