Tax Reviewer, Small Business Returns

Role Overview

• Review prepared federal and applicable state returns before customer delivery or filing, including 1040, Schedule C, 1120, 1120-S, and 1065 returns.
• Confirm returns align with year-end financials, bookkeeping records, workpapers, prior-year context, and customer-provided documents.
• Identify material errors, inconsistencies, missing schedules, classification issues, unsupported positions, filing risks, and bookkeeping issues requiring correction before filing.
• Validate adjusting entries or request corrections before customer delivery or filing.
• Review returns involving R&D credits / Form 6765 where applicable, including reasonableness of inputs, documentation, and escalation needs.
• Provide clear, actionable feedback to preparers and ensure corrections are completed before a return is sent to the customer or filed.
• Conduct or support draft review calls when technical explanation is needed and explain review findings in plain language.
• Confirm customer approval is informed and filing authorization matches the correct return and year.
• Monitor returns in review, client approval, and filing stages so they do not stall; respond promptly to internal and customer-facing questions.
• Document review findings, decisions, assumptions, unresolved risks, and follow-up items clearly.
• Escalate advisory or complex technical issues to BenchTax Advisors only when necessary, and track repeat preparer issues to support quality improvement.

Requirements

• Valid IRS PTIN
• Significant U.S. tax preparation and/or review experience.
• Strong understanding of small business and entity-level tax issues.
• Ability to review 1040, Schedule C, 1120, 1120-S, and 1065 returns.
• Ability to identify material tax errors, bookkeeping inconsistencies, unsupported positions, and filing risks, and explain corrections clearly.
• Strong analytical skills, attention to detail, written/verbal communication, and remote-work discipline.
• Comfort speaking directly with customers by phone or video when needed and explaining technical tax issues to non-tax professionals.
• Strong computer skills and ability to work efficiently across multiple systems in a remote workflow.
• Independent ownership, responsiveness, and follow-through through correction, approval, and filing.
• Willingness to complete BenchTax’s written technical review assessment.
• CPA or Enrolled Agent designation strongly preferred.
• Big 4 Experience strongly preferred.
• Experience with R&D credits and Form 6765, including reviewing documentation/substantiation and identifying when specialist/advisor review is required.
• Experience reviewing returns for startups, software companies, engineering firms, product-development businesses, or other R&D-heavy clients.
• Prior experience as a senior preparer, reviewer, tax manager, or quality reviewer.
• Experience reviewing returns prepared by others in a high-volume tax operation.
• Experience with Drake Tax or similar professional tax software.
• Experience with remote workflows and tools such as Slack, Google Workspace, Salesforce, portals.

Benefits

• Must meet Bench’s minimum hardware and internet requirements for smooth communication and workflow
• Remote work
• Work North American business hours (8 AM – 4 PM EST or PST)