Senior Tax Accountant | CPA Public Practice
- Location: Burnaby, BC (in office), with required travel to our Vancouver Island office based on client and engagement needs (ferry and accommodation costs covered)
- Employment: Full-time, permanent
- Compensation: $90,000 to $110,000 per year, depending on experience
About the practice
We are an established Canadian public accounting practice serving owner-managed businesses, individuals, estates, charities and not-for-profit organizations. Our work includes bookkeeping, payroll, compilation engagements, corporate and personal tax compliance, estate and trust filings, advisory services and ongoing financial support.
We are a fast-growing practice with a fast-paced, deadline-driven work environment. We offer genuine opportunities for career growth and ongoing professional development, and we are looking for an experienced CPA who wants to grow with us.
The opportunity
The Senior Tax Accountant works closely with the partners and is the technical lead on compilation and corporate tax files, with complex tax planning, reorganizations, estate matters and other high-judgment issues escalated to the partners. The role supports client work at both our Burnaby and Vancouver Island offices and requires in-person attendance, including travel between offices as needed.
Key responsibilities
Technical accounting and tax
- Prepare and review compilation engagements in accordance with CSRS 4200.
- Prepare and review year-end working papers and financial statements using CaseWare.
- Apply ASPE appropriately to Canadian private company files and document significant judgments.
- Prepare and review corporate income tax returns (T2) and related schedules for owner-managed businesses.
- Prepare and review personal (T1), trust and estate (T3) returns.
- Review adjusting entries, shareholder loan activity, remuneration, fixed assets, tax reconciliations and other common year-end matters.
- Research and resolve accounting and tax issues, documenting conclusions clearly for partner review where required.
- Review GST/HST, payroll, information returns and other compliance matters connected with assigned engagements.
- Assist with CRA correspondence, reviews and routine client enquiries.
File review and quality
- Review files prepared by team members and provide clear, constructive review notes.
- Ensure working papers, tax returns, financial statements, engagement letters and representation letters are complete, consistent and properly documented.
- Identify missing information, unusual transactions, deadline risks and matters requiring partner involvement early in the engagement.
- Support the practice’s quality management policies and consistent application of professional standards.
- Help improve turnaround times without compromising accuracy, documentation or professional judgment.
Team support and coaching
- Provide practical technical guidance on routine accounting, compilation and corporate tax questions.
- Coach senior, junior and bookkeeping staff through regular feedback, file review and practical training.
- Coordinate with the partners and managers to support engagement deadlines and efficient workflow.
- Develop the review capability and technical confidence of team members over time.
- Promote respectful communication, collaboration and accountability across the team.
Process and systems improvement
- Contribute to practical procedures, templates and checklists that support consistent engagement delivery.
- Use CaseWare, tax software and other approved technology effectively.
- Identify opportunities to improve quality, efficiency and the client experience.
Client service
- Communicate with clients professionally to obtain information, explain routine accounting and tax matters and move engagements forward.
- Participate in client meetings when technical support is required.
- Build trusted relationships while preserving the personalized service valued by long-standing clients.
- Work in person from our Burnaby office and travel to our Vancouver Island office as required to meet client and engagement needs.
Qualifications
- Canadian CPA designation in good standing.
- At least five years of recent Canadian public practice experience.
- Strong experience with compilation engagements, corporate income tax returns and Canadian owner-managed businesses.
- Experience with personal (T1), trust and estate (T3) returns, and with charities or not-for-profit organizations.
- Demonstrated ability to review CaseWare files and provide useful review notes.
- Strong knowledge of ASPE, CSRS 4200 and common private company accounting and tax matters.
- Working proficiency with CaseWare Working Papers (desktop) and/or CaseWare Cloud, Profile and QuickBooks Online.
- Ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment, manage multiple competing deadlines and exercise sound professional judgment.
- Open to constructive feedback and committed to continuous learning and improvement.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills and a professional client service approach.
- Experience coaching, reviewing or training accounting staff.
- High standards for confidentiality, documentation, ethics and quality.
- Ability and willingness to travel to our Vancouver Island office as required; a valid driver’s licence is an asset.
What success looks like
Within the first year, the successful candidate will be expected to:
- Become a dependable technical resource for routine compilation and corporate tax matters.
- Take independent ownership of assigned engagements from information collection through completion and partner review.
- Maintain quality and consistency through timely and constructive file review.
- Provide practical coaching that strengthens knowledge and team capability.
- Help document and implement consistent workflows across the practice.
- Resolve routine technical questions independently while escalating high-risk and complex matters appropriately.
What we offer
- Salary of $90,000 to $110,000 per year, depending on experience.
- A retirement savings allowance, paid as a percentage of salary in lieu of RRSP contributions.
- Paid vacation.
- Banked hours: extra hours worked during tax season can be banked and taken as paid time off.
- Ferry and accommodation costs covered for travel to our Vancouver Island office.
- A permanent full-time position with direct access to the practice partners.
- An opportunity to contribute to technical quality, staff development and process improvement.
- Exposure to a varied client base across corporate tax, compilations, personal tax, estates, charities and advisory services.
- The opportunity to work alongside the partners on tax planning, corporate reorganizations and restructuring, including section 85 rollovers, estate freezes, estate planning and purchase-and-sale planning, developing your skills beyond compliance.
- A pathway toward broader management and leadership responsibility, and a genuine path to partnership for the right candidate as the practice grows, based on performance and the needs of the practice.
How to apply
Apply directly through LinkedIn by clicking Apply and submitting your resume. In your application or an optional cover letter, briefly tell us about:
- Your Canadian public practice experience
- The types of engagements you have prepared and reviewed
- Your experience coaching or reviewing staff
- Your ability to travel to our Vancouver Island office as required
- Your availability to start
We thank all applicants for their interest. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
