Staff Accountant - Sales Tax and General Accounting

Staff Accountant

Sales Tax and General Accounting

Department: Accounting / Finance

Reports to Controller

Location: Hickory, KY (on-site)

Status: Full-time, Exempt

Position Summary

The Staff Accountant is responsible for multi-state sales and use tax compliance and for a range of general accounting duties supporting the month-end close. This role owns the sales tax reporting cycle end to end — from transaction-level tax determination through return filing, reconciliation, and audit support — while also preparing journal entries, performing account reconciliations, and assisting with financial reporting across multiple legal entities.

This is a strong fit for an accountant who is comfortable owning a compliance function independently, enjoys working across systems, and wants exposure to a growing multi-entity organization.

Key Responsibilities

Sales and Use Tax (Primary Focus)

• Prepare, review, and file monthly, quarterly, and annual sales and use tax returns across multiple states and local jurisdictions.
• Maintain and monitor the Avalara integration with NetSuite, including tax code mapping, product taxability, jurisdiction assignment, and destination-based sourcing.
• Reconcile sales tax liability accounts to filed returns and to the general ledger each month; research and resolve variances.
• Manage exemption and resale certificate collection, validation, and renewal; maintain customer exemption records in NetSuite.
• Monitor economic nexus thresholds by state and coordinate new registrations, account set-up, and filing calendars as thresholds are met.
• Respond to state and local notices, information requests, and audits; assemble supporting documentation and draft responses.
• Track legislative and rate changes affecting the company's jurisdictions and recommend system or process updates.
• Assist with business license, gross receipts, and other indirect tax filings as assigned.

General Accounting

• Prepare and post recurring and non-recurring journal entries, including accruals, prepaids, and allocations, with appropriate supporting documentation.
• Perform monthly reconciliations.
• Support the month-end and year-end close process, meeting assigned close deadlines.
• Maintain schedules for fixed assets, prepaid expenses, and other recurring analyses.
• Assist with intercompany transactions and reconciliations across affiliated entities.
• Prepare account analyses and variance explanations for management review.
• Support external accountants and lenders with requested schedules, reconciliations, and documentation.
• Identify and recommend improvements to accounting processes, documentation, and internal controls; assist in developing and maintaining written procedures.
• Perform other general accounting duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related business field.
• 2 years of progressive accounting experience, including journal entry preparation and account reconciliation.
• Working knowledge of GAAP and the month-end close cycle.
• Strong Excel skills (pivot tables, lookups, large data sets).
• Demonstrated accuracy, attention to detail, and ability to meet recurring deadlines.
• Ability to research questions independently and communicate findings clearly to non-accountants.

Preferred

• Hands-on multi-state sales and use tax compliance experience.
• Experience with NetSuite (or a comparable mid-market ERP).
• Experience with Avalara or a similar sales tax automation platform.
• Experience in a multi-entity environment, including intercompany accounting.
• Distribution, wholesale, manufacturing, or e-commerce industry background.
• Exposure to state tax audits or notice resolution.
• CPA, CPA candidate, or progress toward certification.

Core Competencies

• Ownership — takes responsibility for a recurring compliance calendar without day-to-day supervision.
• Analytical thinking — reconciles across systems and identifies the root cause of discrepancies rather than plugging differences.
• Communication — explains tax and accounting issues clearly to operations, sales, and leadership.
• Adaptability — comfortable in a growing organization where processes are still being built and refined.
• Integrity — handles confidential financial information with discretion.

Work Environment

Office-based position in Hickory, KY. Standard business hours with additional hours as needed during month-end close and filing deadlines.

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee discount
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Shift availability:

• Day Shift (Required)

Ability to Commute:

• Hickory, KY 42051 (Required)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $49,516 - $71,467