Tax Principal - Dealer Services

Overview Baker Tilly is a leading advisory, tax and assurance firm, providing clients with a genuine coast-to-coast and global advantage in major regions of the U.S. and in many of the world’s leading financial centers – New York, London, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and Boston. Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP and Baker Tilly US, LLP (Baker Tilly) provide professional services through an alternative practice structure in accordance with the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and applicable laws, regulations and professional standards. Baker Tilly US, LLP is a licensed independent CPA firm that provides attest services to its clients. Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP and its subsidiary entities provide tax and business advisory services to their clients. Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP and its subsidiary entities are not licensed CPA firms. Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP and Baker Tilly US, LLP, trading as Baker Tilly, are independent members of Baker Tilly International, a worldwide network of independent accounting and business advisory firms in 141 territories, with 43,000 professionals and a combined worldwide revenue of $5.2 billion. Visit bakertilly.com or join the conversation on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. Please discuss the work location status with your Baker Tilly talent acquisition professional to understand the requirements for an opportunity you are exploring. Baker Tilly is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected basis, in accordance with applicable federal, state or local law. Any unsolicited resumes submitted through our website or to Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP, employee e-mail accounts are considered property of Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP, and are not subject to payment of agency fees. In order to be an authorized recruitment agency ("search firm") for Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP, there must be a formal written agreement in place and the agency must be invited, by Baker Tilly's Talent Attraction team, to submit candidates for review via our applicant tracking system. Job Description: Responsibilities Are you looking to join an entrepreneurial firm which is one of the fastest growing in the US - one where you will be the "go to" tax expert? Are you inspired to lead a practice, lead people and make a difference for your clients? If yes, consider joining Baker Tilly (BT) as a Tax Principal in our Dealer Services practice focused on growing the Seattle and broader Pacific Northwest market! Be a valued business advisor delivering industry-focused tax advisory and compliance services to dealership owners, dealer groups and related businesses. You will work side-by-side with firm leadership and our associates to serve clients and build the business, having a direct impact on the firm’s success. You will be a valued mentor and coach to a group of talented staff, utilizing your expertise to help develop their technical and professional skills. As one of the fastest growing firms in the nation, BT has the ability to provide you with an amazing ownership experience working with some of the most entrepreneurial partners in our field. Baker Tilly's Dealer Services practice serves more than 1,500 dealership clients, supported by over 90 dedicated professionals and more than 100 years of industry experience. Our specialization spans automotive, motorcycle, recreational vehicle (RV), trucking, powersports, heavy equipment and marine dealerships. You will have the opportunity to leverage this established national platform while expanding Baker Tilly's dealership-focused tax services throughout the Pacific Northwest. You will enjoy this role if: - You are an expert in tax and know the Seattle and Pacific Northwest dealership market and want to make an impact to help grow this area. - You want to work for a leading CPA advisory firm which is growing, growth means more opportunity. - You are passionate about contributing to your team’s professional growth and your continued development, creating endless opportunities now, for tomorrow. - You have a strong understanding of the unique tax considerations, operational challenges and growth opportunities facing dealership owners and dealer groups. - You are entrepreneurial and energized by the opportunity to expand a dealership-focused tax practice while leveraging Baker Tilly's national industry expertise and multidisciplinary resources. What you will do: - Be a trusted leader of Baker Tilly’s tax services providing federal tax compliance and consulting services to dealership owners, dealer groups and related businesses throughout Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, positively impacting your clients through: - Being a valued tax business advisor, leading client relationships on day-to-day tax matters with dealership clients ranging from independently owned dealerships to large, multi-location dealer groups. - Consulting on technical matters and special projects in various areas of corporate and flow through taxation, accounting methods, and dealership-specific tax planning, including inventory accounting, LIFO considerations, capitalization policies, depreciation and fixed assets. - Researching various tax matters, responding to IRS and other tax authority inquiries, and making recommendations to the client for consideration. - Coordinating with specialty tax practices on complicated tax matters in the state and local, high net worth, international, research and development along with credits and incentives areas. - Overseeing tax-planning responsibilities for federal and individual clients, review complex tax research on a wide range of tax issues related to business transactions for a variety of entities and their affiliates, including dealership acquisitions, dispositions, restructurings and ownership transitions. - Advising dealership owners and management teams on entity structuring, succession planning, shareholder transactions, wealth transfer considerations and other strategic tax matters impacting dealership operations and long-term growth. - Providing recommendations for business and process improvements based upon knowledge gained relative to the client's operations, processes, and business objectives, leveraging Baker Tilly's dealership industry benchmarking capabilities and advisory resources to identify opportunities for improved profitability and operational efficiency. - Manage client engagement staffing, billings/collections, and ensure client profitability targets are met. - Utilize your entrepreneurial skills to network and build strong relationships internally and externally with the goal of acquiring new clients, projects, and revenue. Actively participate in request for proposals to pursue additional clients/services for the firm, with a focus on expanding Baker Tilly's Dealer Services presence throughout Seattle, Washington and the broader Pacific Northwest. - Participates with other service line leadership in developing tax service market positioning and branding, strategy, and messaging, collaborating with Seattle market leadership and the national Dealer Services team to strengthen industry positioning and drive practice growth. - Develop and maintain relationships with dealership owners, dealer groups, industry executives, professional referral sources and dealership industry associations to identify new business opportunities. - Collaborate with Baker Tilly's assurance, transaction advisory, state and local tax, risk advisory, cybersecurity and other specialty professionals to deliver integrated solutions addressing the evolving needs of dealership clients. - Support dealership clients through mergers and acquisitions, ownership transitions and other significant business transactions by coordinating with Baker Tilly's transaction advisory and specialty tax professionals. - Invest in your professional development individually and through participation in firm wide learning and development programs. - Support the growth and development of team members through Baker Tilly Care and Teach philosophy, helping associates meet their professional goals along with proactively supporting the recruitment efforts of future team members. - Demonstrate leadership, initiative, excellent team skills, and high ethical standards. - Represents the firm at key community events, firm functions, and other meetings, including dealership industry conferences, professional associations and networking events throughout the Pacific Northwest. Qualifications - Bachelor's Degree required, Masters or advanced degree desirable. - CPA or JD required. - Fifteen (15)+ years’ experience providing federal tax compliance and consulting services in a professional services firm, relevant industry experience is considered. - Significant experience serving automotive dealerships, dealership groups or related dealer services businesses, with a strong understanding of the industry's unique tax and business considerations. - Five (5)+ years’ of supervisory experience, mentoring and counseling associates. - Demonstrated success developing new business, expanding client relationships and contributing to the growth of tax practice. - Established relationships with dealership owners, dealer groups, industry executives and professional referral networks in Seattle, Washington or the broader Pacific Northwest strongly preferred. - Strong technical knowledge of federal taxation for corporations, partnerships, S corporations and closely held businesses, including dealership-specific tax planning involving inventory accounting, LIFO, accounting methods, depreciation and entity structuring. - Experience advising dealership clients on mergers and acquisitions, succession planning, ownership transitions and complex tax planning matters desirable. - Demonstrated management, analytical, organization, interpersonal, project management, communication skills. - Ability to lead and supervise others, provide exceptional client service, demonstrate commitment to continuous learning in order to stay current regarding applicable strategies, see the "big picture" as well as the details, display appropriate ethical knowledge and commitment, and exhibit a sense of urgency and commitment to quality and the timely completion of projects. - Proven ability to serve as a trusted advisor to dealership owners and senior executives, translating complex tax matters into practical business recommendations. - Strong professional presence established industry credibility and the ability to represent Baker Tilly effectively within the dealership community. - Highly developed software and Microsoft Suite skills.