Tax Analyst

Key Duties & Responsibilities

Prepare, review, file, and facilitate timely payment of motor fuel excise tax and other related tax returns for assigned jurisdictions.

Perform reconciliations between tax returns, transactional data, tax systems, and general ledger accounts and investigate discrepancies.

Ensure reconciling items and exceptions are appropriately documented, investigated, resolved, and tracked to closure.

Support federal, state, and other jurisdictional tax audits by gathering documentation, analysing transactions, preparing supporting schedules, and responding to information requests.

Research changes in fuel tax laws, regulations, tax rates, exemptions, filing requirements, and jurisdiction-specific rules.

Evaluate the taxability of fuel transactions and provide guidance regarding the appropriate tax treatment of fuel-related products and transactions.

Maintain and validate fuel tax configurations within relevant financial and tax systems in accordance with company policies and regulatory requirements.

Analyse large volumes of fuel transaction data to identify tax exceptions, incorrect tax treatment, data issues, and potential compliance risks.

Coordinate with Fuel Accounting, General Accounting, Operations, Technology, Legal/Compliance, and other stakeholders to resolve tax-related issues.

Communicate with external taxing authorities regarding notices, assessments, audits, filing questions, and other compliance matters.

Support the preparation of responses to tax notices and audit inquiries, including documentation and reconciliation of disputed amounts.

Maintain appropriate documentation and audit trails supporting tax calculations, returns, reconciliations, and adjustments.

Assist with tax registrations, licenses, permits, renewals, and jurisdictional compliance requirements, where applicable.

Support tax-related projects, process improvements, automation initiatives, system implementations, and other departmental initiatives.

Identify opportunities to strengthen controls, accuracy, efficiency, and compliance within the fuel tax process.

Specific Knowledge & Skills

Understanding of U.S. motor fuel taxes, fuel excise taxes, and fuel accounting.

Knowledge of federal and state fuel tax concepts, including taxable transactions, exemptions, tax rates, filing requirements, and jurisdictional differences.

Experience with tax return preparation, tax reconciliations, audit support, and tax research.

Experience with Avalara Excise or similar excise tax technology is preferred.

Strong Excel and data-analysis skills; ability to work with large transactional datasets.

Understanding of general ledger accounting and account reconciliations.

Strong analytical, critical-thinking, research, and problem-solving capabilities.

Ability to interpret tax regulations and translate them into operational requirements.

Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to interact with internal stakeholders and external taxing authorities.

Strong documentation and organizational skills with attention to deadlines.

Ability to work independently while escalating significant tax or compliance issues appropriately.

Adaptable and comfortable working in a changing and growing business environment.