Tax Manager

Tax Manager

McLean, VA

$130,000 to $180,000 bonus

There’s a point in most Tax Managers’ careers where “more responsibility” stops sounding like a benefit.

You’ve already got responsibility.

What you probably want is better work, better recognition for doing it, and a firm that’s prepared to pay properly for the experience you’ve spent years building.

That’s what makes this opportunity interesting.

This is a substantial, established public accounting firm looking to strengthen its Tax team in Northern Virginia. The client work is sophisticated, the resources are there, and they’re particularly interested in people who understand flow through taxation properly.

Partnerships. S Corporations. Real estate structures. Business owners with situations that don’t come with a neat answer on page one.

If that’s the sort of work you’re good at, they want to talk.

Why they’re hiring

Quite simply, they need more good Tax Managers.

The work is there. The clients are there. What they don’t want to do is solve that problem by simply stretching the existing team further.

So they’re hiring.

And they’re being deliberately flexible on salary because they’d rather pay properly for the right person than compromise on the hire.

They’re looking for someone who can step into Manager level with confidence, take ownership of engagements, review complex work, manage client relationships and help develop the people underneath them.

This isn’t about finding another pair of hands for busy season.

It’s about adding someone the team can genuinely rely on.

The work itself

The sweet spot here is flow through tax.

You’ll be working heavily across partnerships and S Corporations, with real estate experience particularly attractive.

The wider client base means you’ll still get variety, but they’re especially interested in people who understand entity structures and can look beyond the return itself.

You’ll be involved in:

• Complex partnership and S Corporation taxation
• Flow through structures
• Real estate clients
• Tax planning and advisory
• Reviewing complex returns
• Managing engagements and deadlines
• Developing Seniors and junior staff
• Building long term client relationships

At Manager level, they don’t want you hidden behind a review queue.

You should know the clients.

Understand their businesses.

Spot issues before they become problems.

And gradually become one of the people they call before making important decisions, rather than afterwards.

A good move after Big 4?

Potentially, a very good one.

They’re particularly open to people coming from Big 4 and larger public accounting firms because the complexity of the work translates well.

But this doesn’t need to feel like taking your foot off the career accelerator.

You still get sophisticated work.

You still have strong technical resources around you.

You still work with talented tax professionals.

The difference is that you can start becoming much more visible to the clients you’re actually advising.

For someone who enjoys the technical standard of a larger firm but wants to feel closer to the outcome of their work, that can be a pretty compelling trade.

What working here actually looks like

The role is hybrid, with an expectation of spending part of the week in the McLean office.

That face time matters because Managers play an important role in developing the team, working with leadership and building relationships internally.

But this isn’t about sitting in an office simply to prove you’re working.

There’s flexibility within the setup and an understanding that experienced professionals don’t need their calendars managed for them.

The benefits are strong too, including a particularly attractive retirement contribution where the firm contributes 5%, rather than making that dependent on you matching it yourself.

Small detail.

Worth quite a lot over a career.

What they’re looking for

The non negotiable is straightforward.

You’ll need your CPA or EA.

Beyond that, they’re looking for someone with a solid public accounting background who has built genuine technical depth and is ready to operate confidently at Manager level.

Ideally, you’ll bring:

• Strong partnership and S Corporation experience
• Flow through tax expertise
• Real estate exposure would be a big plus
• CPA or EA qualification
• Public accounting experience
• Experience reviewing work and managing engagements
• Confidence working directly with clients
• A track record that shows some stability and progression

Larger firm experience is particularly attractive, although it’s the quality of your experience that matters most.

Why I think this one is worth a conversation

Because it doesn’t require you to choose between interesting work and a better environment.

That’s often the trade people assume they have to make.

Here, you can keep the complexity.

Keep progressing.

Keep working with substantial clients.

But do it somewhere that’s actively looking for your level of experience and prepared to value it accordingly.

And with a salary range stretching to $180,000, they have enough flexibility to make the conversation worthwhile for people who are already doing well where they are.

You don’t need to be desperate to leave your current firm.

Actually, this probably suits someone who isn’t.

It’s simply worth knowing what else is out there.

Not ready with a resume? Or want a bit more information before applying? That’s fine. Apply the old fashioned way, or simply reach out to me on LinkedIn or through the Distinct Recruitment website. I’ll happily talk you through the role, the firm, and where it could take you before you make any commitments.

I’m Abigail Stephen, Recruiter at Distinct. I don’t just look at job specs; I look at people, and where they’ll thrive. It’s not about filling gaps. It’s about finding a fit that lasts.

Outside of work, balance for me is Pilates to reset, travel to explore, and skiing to recharge. Because the truth is, you don’t slog through hours for the love of a spreadsheet. You do it for the freedom it buys you. Same principle here.