Senior Associate - Client Accounting Services, Real Estate

Senior Associate

Join Baker Tilly (BT) as a Senior Associate with our growing outsourced Client Accounting Services practice! This is a great opportunity to be a valued business advisor to multiple clients across the country. As one of the fastest growing firms in the nation, BT has the ability to offer you upward career trajectory, flexibility in how and where you get your work done and meaningful relationships with clients, teammates and leadership who truly care about you and your development. This is a hybrid position - located in Chicago.

In this role, you will work in a cloud-based environment and serve as a Senior Accounting Associate for one Chicago based client, working with a team of professionals to provide accounting services to their businesses. Come and join a fast growing team, where we can offer you variety in your client work to help you grow your skills and a steady schedule to allow for a healthy work/life balance!

You will enjoy this role if:

• You are looking for your next challenge, crave variety where no day is the same and feel your skills and experience can be better utilized
• You are comfortable using technology and would enjoy helping businesses become more automated through cloud based accounting solutions
• You are looking to be part of a fast growing, innovative practice where your hard work and creativity can help us continue to build, improve and advance

What you will do:

The Senior Associate will assist in managing the tax compliance, reporting and planning for transactions throughout the life cycle of a client's investment vehicles. This role will also work closely with the client's accounting team and third-party tax preparers to complete all ongoing tax-related requirements.

• Assist in managing third party tax preparers with the fund and property level federal tax returns, state and local tax returns, extensions, and quarterly estimates over the course of each tax compliance period. Review all tax filings by working with the Tax Senior Manager/Tax Vice President/EVP of Accounting in understanding the book to tax income adjustments, reviewing allocations/tax forms/K-1s, and ensuring all tax returns are timely filed.
• Familiarize yourself with the structuring of investment vehicles it advises, seek input from internal personnel and third-party service providers who work on the related assets, and assist in recommending structuring changes in order to optimize flexibility and maximize economics, as applicable
• Assist in the preparation of taxable income estimates requested by investors across the various investment vehicles.
• Assist with/Run weekly/bi-weekly meetings with tax preparers as needed over the course of the year
• Draft written responses to tax notices/manage third party tax preparers in responding to various federal, state, local, and foreign tax agencies
• Assist with taking notes during internal/external meetings to ensure we document tax/business knowledge / next steps for the team to move forward
• Continually educate yourself on new tax laws, strategies, industry trends, and complex financial instruments and suggest potential structuring changes with internal stakeholders
• Assist in developing a deep understanding of all significant agreements, including but not limited to entity operational agreements and side letters, debt agreements, development management, asset management, hotel management, and restaurant management agreements, and applicable leases and insurance contracts to ensure the continuous compliance with each of these agreements throughout the accounting and finance department
• Assist in reviewing REIT Testing and Qualified Opportunity Zone Testing
• Collaborate with the Tax Senior Manager/ Tax Sr. Vice President / EVP of Accounting / Fund Directors/ Fund Accountants in preparing internal memos detailing the high-level investment and structuring strategy for each investment, its significant agreements and key investment terms, and initial and recurring action items regarding acquired investments and transition those memos effectively to the accounting team and third-party tax preparers to ensure proper financial reporting and federal, state, local, and foreign reporting and tax estimate preparation for the investment vehicles
• For acquired investments, on an ongoing basis as regulations change or deal structures change, work closely with the Tax Senior Manager/ Tax Sr. Vice President /EVP of Accounting / Fund Directors/ Fund Accountants and the Acquisitions, Capital Markets, Portfolio Management, and Asset Management teams to respond to ad-hoc requests/prepare required deliverables, synthesize investment changes, alter structuring, update internal memos, and train the accounting team and third-party tax preparers to ensure proper reporting
• In conjunction with the accounting team and third-party tax preparers, maintain a calendar for federal, state, local, and foreign tax returns/other filings/estimates and REIT and Qualified Opportunity Zone compliance testing for the investment vehicles it advises, including the review of all requirements
• Assist in development/implementation of projects that can enhance the Tax Team's processes/procedures
• Learn and grow from direct on the job coaching and mentoring along with participating in firm wide learning and development programs
• Utilize your entrepreneurial skills to network and build strong relationships internally and with your clients
• Support the growth and development of team members through the Baker Tilly Care and Teach philosophy, helping associates meet their professional goals
• Enjoy friendships, social activities and team outings that encourage a work-life balance

Successful candidates will have:

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in accounting
• 4.5-6 years of progressive tax experience with Big 4 or private equity/investment advisor firms in the real estate industry
• Licensed CPA
• Development/Construction accounting background is preferred
• Advanced experience with MS Office software/Excel
• Experience with one or more tax application systems.
• Excellent analytical, technical and problem solving skills, with strong attention to detail
• Exceptional verbal and written communication, collaboration, and time management skills
• Eligibility to work in the U.S., without sponsorship

Preferred:

• An advanced degree, such as a Master of Accountancy / Taxation or a Master of Business Administration / MBA
• Knowledgeable of investment fund tax accounting concepts, including partnership tax accounting, tax allocations, management and incentive fees, PFICs, and CFCs, and experience in tax planning, structuring, forecasting, and reporting
• Experience in a broad base of asset classes, including hospitality, multi-family, office, and retail
• Ability to perform under tight deadlines with minimal supervision
• Ability to build rapport with internal and external counterparties

The compensation range for this role is $62,770 to $118,990. Actual compensation is influenced by a variety of factors including but not limited to skills, experience, qualifications, and geographic location