Senior Tax Analyst - Avalara for Accountants

Avalara’s Accounting Channel is at the heart of how we serve the accounting and CPA community, and the Managed Returns for Accountants (MRA) team is where that commitment becomes real. As a Senior Tax Analyst on the MRA team, you are the primary compliance expert and relationship anchor for a select portfolio of accounting firms. You own the end-to-end returns experience for those firms, from onboarding through filing, notice resolution, and continuous improvement.

This is not a passive service role. We expect you to bring deep tax compliance expertise, a relentless drive to improve how work gets done, and a genuine commitment to making your teammates and your customers better. You will be the firm’s most trusted resource on multi-jurisdictional transaction tax compliance, and you will use that expertise to drive automation, improve quality, and elevate the capability of everyone around you.

Compliance and Filing Operations

• Prepare, review, and file multi-jurisdictional sales and use tax, business and occupation, and gross receipts tax returns for monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual filing cycles
• Manage a select portfolio of accounting firms as their dedicated primary point of contact for all returns-related questions and escalations
• Research and resolve jurisdictional tax notices on behalf of customers with clear, timely, and well-documented communication
• Perform quality assurance reviews related to sales and use tax content and jurisdiction form changes

Customer and Relationship Management

• Serve as the first point of contact for accounting firm returns questions, setting clear expectations and relaying complex compliance information in an accessible, actionable manner
• Own the onboarding and validation of new sales and use tax returns customers, ensuring a smooth transition into Avalara’s platform
• Communicate regularly and effectively with customers, jurisdictions, and internal teams as part of research and resolution workflows
• Take full ownership of customer satisfaction, demonstrating empathy and proactive responsiveness to customer needs

Process Improvement and Team Enablement

• Identify, develop, and implement automation improvements to serve customers across a variety of market and tax verticals
• Identify process and technology gaps and recommend improvements that reduce risk, increase throughput, and improve customer outcomes
• Assist with implementation, training, and documentation initiatives in support of the broader team
• Coordinate and lead training for junior-level employees, serving as a knowledge resource for critical troubleshooting and in-cycle risk reduction
• Apply expert knowledge of jurisdiction websites and taxpayer-facing portals, including data input nuances and system limitations

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance AND a minimum of 5 years of directly related experience in multi-jurisdictional sales and use tax compliance, returns preparation, or tax operations
• Strong analytical, research, and problem-solving skills with demonstrated ability to work through ambiguous compliance scenarios
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex tax concepts into clear guidance for accounting professionals and internal stakeholders
• Ability to work independently and manage competing priorities to meet strict filing deadlines
• Ability to learn and adapt quickly to new software applications, platforms, and tools
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, with depth in Excel (including Power Pivot, VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, and related functions)
• Must be available and working during US business hours

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree (Masters) in Accounting, Taxation, or Finance
• Experience with a Big 4 firm, a large corporate tax department of a multinational company, or a large ERP integration
• Expert understanding of an Avalara customer’s data flow from AvaTax portal to Returns Console
• Deep understanding of user platform features related to jurisdiction configuration, including nexus, exemptions, marketplace rules, filing calendars, reporting, and transaction data
• Working knowledge of transaction flow across the business and the downstream impact on returns preparation and filing
• Familiarity with returns content areas including transaction tax calculation, transaction data flow, returns mapping, and returns filing automation

Bar Raiser Expectation

We hire people who make Avalara better. This role is not just about performing the job, it is about joining Avalara with the expectation that you will raise the standard for everyone around you. We expect this person to leave the team measurably stronger than when they arrived.

• You are expected to set a higher standard for quality, rigor, and accountability in compliance work, not just meet existing standards
• You will actively mentor and develop junior team members, sharing your expertise in ways that multiply the team’s capability
• You will challenge current processes, identify gaps, and implement improvements rather than accepting the status quo
• You will bring a perspective and depth of experience that pushes your peers to think more critically and work more effectively
• You will demonstrate Avalara’s values in how you operate: integrity, accountability, and a commitment to the customer
• Candidates who are not prepared to actively contribute to team growth and organizational improvement are not the right fit for this role, regardless of technical skill

AI Bar Raiser Expectation

We expect every Senior Tax Analyst to be an AI Bar Raiser on their team. This means more than using AI tools; it means you bring stronger AI fluency and applied AI capability than the team you are joining, and you actively use that expertise to elevate the team’s overall capability.

• You will demonstrate a working command of AI-powered tools applied to tax compliance workflows, including automated return preparation, anomaly detection, notice pattern recognition, and data reconciliation
• You will identify high-value opportunities to apply AI and automation to reduce manual effort, improve accuracy, and increase throughput across MRA operations
• You will teach, model, and coach your teammates on effective AI-assisted workflows, raising the floor of AI fluency across the team
• You will critically evaluate AI outputs, understanding where automation adds value and where human judgment and expertise must remain central
• You will contribute to Avalara’s broader AI adoption strategy within the Returns organization by piloting new approaches, documenting what works, and sharing findings across teams
• Candidates who have general familiarity with AI tools but cannot articulate how they would apply AI to elevate team performance will not meet the AI Bar Raiser standard for this role

AI is embedded in our workflows, decision-making, and products.  Success here requires embracing AI as an essential capability.

• You’ll bring experience using AI and AI-related technologies, ready to thrive here.

• You’ll apply AI every day to business challenges - improving efficiency, contributing solutions, and driving results for your team, our company, and our customers.

• You’ll grow with AI by staying curious about new trends and best practices, and by sharing what you learn so others can benefit too.

Total Rewards 

In addition to a great compensation package, paid time off, and paid parental leave, many Avalara employees are eligible for bonuses. 

Health & Wellness 
Benefits vary by location but generally include private medical, life, and disability insurance. 

Inclusive culture and diversity 
Avalara strongly supports diversity, equity, and inclusion, and is committed to integrating them into our business practices and our organizational culture. We also have a total of 8 employee-run resource groups, each with senior leadership and exec sponsorship. 

We’re defining the relationship between tax and tech.

We’ve already built an industry-leading cloud compliance platform, processing over 54 billion customer API calls and over 6.6 million tax returns a year. Our growth is real - we're a billion dollar business - and we’re not slowing down until we’ve achieved our mission - to be part of every transaction in the world.

We’re bright, innovative, and disruptive, like the orange we love to wear. It captures our quirky spirit and optimistic mindset. It shows off the culture we’ve designed, that empowers our people to win. We’ve been different from day one. Join us, and your career will be too.

We’re An Equal Opportunity Employer

Supporting diversity and inclusion is a cornerstone of our company — we don’t want people to fit into our culture, but to enrich it. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, age, gender, national orientation, disability, sexual orientation, US Veteran status, or any other factor protected by law. If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.