Senior Tax Manager

SENIOR TAX MANAGERLocation: Calgary, Alberta or Toronto, Ontario | Remote or Hybrid
Employment Type: Full-Time, Permanent
Department: Tax
Salary: $115,000 - $145,000
Position SummaryWe are seeking an experienced Tax Manager to join our growing accounting and tax practice.
This is a hands‑on leadership role for a technically strong tax professional who can manage client engagements, review complex corporate and personal tax files, oversee a team of accountants, and ensure work is completed accurately, efficiently, and on time.
The Senior Tax Manager will take ownership of a portfolio of client files from planning through completion, provide technical guidance to staff, identify tax planning opportunities, and act as a key point of contact for clients.
You will work closely with senior leadership and partners while helping strengthen the processes, quality standards, and technical capabilities of the tax department.
This role is well suited to someone who enjoys both technical tax work and people leadership and who wants meaningful responsibility within a growing firm.
Key ResponsibilitiesTax Compliance & Technical Review
Manage and review T2 corporate income tax returns, including related schedules and supporting documentation.
Prepare and review more complex corporate tax files, including multi-jurisdictional filings, foreign reporting, related-party transactions, and other complex tax matters.
Review and/or prepare T1 personal tax returns, including more complex personal tax situations as required.
Review tax provisions, shareholder transactions, taxable benefits, and other year-end tax adjustments.
Monitor and review items such as shareholder loans, associated corporations, related corporations, RDTOH, GRIP, capital dividend accounts, and other corporate tax attributes.
Identify tax planning opportunities for owner-managed businesses and individual shareholders.
Research technical tax matters and provide recommendations to clients and internal team members.
Respond to CRA reviews, audits, reassessments, and other correspondence on behalf of clients.
Ensure tax filings and elections are completed accurately and within required deadlines.
Escalate complex technical or risk matters to senior leadership or partners where appropriate.
Compilation Engagements & Financial Statements
Review compilation engagement files prepared by staff for completeness, accuracy, and compliance with CSRS 4200.
Review year-end working papers, adjusting entries, financial statements, and supporting documentation.
Ensure financial statements are properly presented and consistent with underlying accounting records.
Review files using CaseWare, CaseView, Jazzit, or similar public practice software.
Identify accounting, tax, documentation, or risk issues prior to partner review.
Ensure files meet the firm's documentation and quality control standards.
Client Management & Advisory
Manage relationships with a portfolio of small to mid-sized, owner-managed businesses and individual clients.
Act as a primary point of contact for clients throughout the year.
Communicate tax matters clearly and practically to business owners and other stakeholders.
Proactively identify planning opportunities, filing requirements, and areas of potential tax exposure.
Participate in client meetings related to year-end planning, corporate tax matters, compensation planning, and other advisory needs.
Ensure client questions and requests are responded to in a timely and professional manner.
Build trusted relationships with clients while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries and risk management standards.
Team Leadership & Development
Directly supervise and support a team of approximately four accountants.
Delegate work based on team capacity, experience, and development needs.
Review staff work and provide timely, constructive feedback.
Coach team members on tax, accounting, documentation, and file management.
Support the development of junior and intermediate accountants through mentorship and on-the-job training.
Identify recurring technical or process issues and coordinate additional training where needed.
Participate in performance discussions and provide feedback regarding employee development and progression.
Promote accountability, ownership, collaboration, and high-quality work across the team.
Workflow & Practice Management
Manage workflow across multiple client engagements and ensure deadlines are met.
Monitor work-in-progress and ensure files continue moving through the review and completion process.
Coordinate priorities and staffing requirements during peak T1 and T2 filing periods.
Identify bottlenecks, overdue work, or capacity issues and take action to resolve them.
Maintain visibility over assigned client deadlines, CRA requirements, and outstanding information.
Support improvements to tax department processes, templates, checklists, and quality control procedures.
Work closely with other managers and senior leadership to allocate resources effectively.
Contribute to the continued development and scalability of the firm's tax practice.
QualificationsRequired
Canadian CPA designation.
Minimum 5 to 7 years of progressive public practice experience, with significant Canadian tax experience.
Demonstrated experience reviewing T2 corporate tax returns, not solely preparing them.
Strong experience preparing and reviewing T1 personal income tax returns.
Experience independently managing client engagements from planning through completion.
Previous experience supervising, coaching, or managing accounting professionals.
Strong knowledge of Canadian corporate and personal taxation.
Strong working knowledge of CSRS 4200 compilation engagement standards.
Experience with public practice tax software such as TaxCycle, ProFile, CCH, or equivalent.
Experience with CaseWare and CaseView or comparable working paper software.
Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving abilities.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to manage multiple client engagements, deadlines, and competing priorities.
Strong attention to detail while maintaining an understanding of overall client and business objectives.
Preferred
Completion of or progress toward the CPA Canada In-Depth Tax Program.
Experience with Jazzit.
Exposure to corporate reorganizations, estate freezes, Section 85 rollovers, or succession planning.
Experience with multi-jurisdictional tax filings and foreign reporting requirements.
Experience with SR&ED claims.
Experience responding to CRA audits, reviews, reassessments, or notices of objection.
Experience advising owner-managed businesses on compensation, dividends, shareholder transactions, and corporate structures.
Knowledge of ASPE and/or IFRS.
Experience with cloud-based accounting and practice management systems.
Experience working in a growing or technology-focused public accounting firm.
Compensation & Benefits
Salary of $115,000 - $145,000, based on experience and technical capabilities.
Health and dental benefits.
CPA membership dues and professional development support.
Flexible remote and/or hybrid work arrangements.
Opportunities for continued tax specialization and leadership development.
Meaningful involvement in the continued development of the firm's tax practice.
Opportunity to take on increasing responsibility as the firm continues to grow.
Ideal Candidate
You are an experienced public practice professional who is comfortable owning client engagements rather than simply preparing or reviewing individual files.
You have strong Canadian corporate and personal tax knowledge and can confidently review the work of other accountants, identify issues, provide technical direction, and determine when matters require further escalation.
You enjoy developing people and are comfortable setting expectations, delegating work, providing feedback, and holding a team accountable for deadlines and quality.
You are also comfortable interacting directly with business owners. You can explain complex tax matters in practical language, identify opportunities beyond basic compliance, and build strong long‑term client relationships.
Most importantly, you are someone who takes ownership. You understand that managing a tax portfolio requires balancing technical quality, client service, team development, workflow, deadlines, and commercial awareness, and you are comfortable being accountable for all of those areas.
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