How to hire a tax manager

How to hire a tax manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step tax manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a tax manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new tax manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a tax manager do?

Post a tax manager job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the tax manager you need to hire. Certain tax manager roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect tax manager also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of tax managers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Tax Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Tax Manager	Financial managers are responsible for the financial health of an organization. They produce financial reports, direct investment activities, and develop strategies and plans for the long-term financial goals of their organization.	$33-62
   Manager Finance Planning And Analysis	A manager finance planning and analysis oversees the daily operations of a company's financial planning department. They typically have administrative duties such as setting goals and guidelines, establishing timelines and budgets, delegating tasks among teams and staff, and reviewing financial reports regularly... Show more	$36-71
   Credit And Collection Manager	A credit and collection manager is responsible for evaluating credit services and supervising the credit and collection team in reaching out to clients with outstanding debts and credit applications. Credit and collection managers oversee the cash flow systems and identify opportunities to minimize excessive loss and resolve credit disputes... Show more	$22-52

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CPA
   • Client Relationships
   • Tax Planning
   • Tax Compliance
   • Taxation
   • Tax Research
   • Indirect Tax
   • ASC
   • Tax Issues
   • State Income
   • International Tax
   • Tax Provision
   • Local Tax
   • Due Diligence

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Test and learned to analyze accounting processes managing SOX testing including accumulating documentation and reviewing other testers work.
   • Perform tax provision review to ensure compliance with ASC 740 and ASC 740-10 for public trade companies and private companies.
   • Pull data and work with Hyperion.
   • Used Lexis Nexis, RIA, and CCH to research multiple tax projects.
   • Prepare and review ASC 740 tax balances for the company s fifteen largest foreign subsidiaries.
   • Calculate, prepare and submit quarterly estimate payments without need for review from third party CPA.

   More tax manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your tax manager job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A tax manager can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, tax managers' average salary in hawaii is 39% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level tax managers 47% less than senior-level tax managers.
   • Certifications. A tax manager with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a tax manager's salary.

   Average tax manager salary

   $96,100yearly

   $46.20 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level tax manager salary

   $70,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average tax manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$107,226	$52
   2	New York	$104,482	$50
   3	District of Columbia	$103,369	$50
   4	New Jersey	$100,527	$48
   5	Connecticut	$99,187	$48
   6	Virginia	$97,887	$47
   7	Massachusetts	$96,506	$46
   8	Nevada	$93,777	$45
   9	Maryland	$93,552	$45
   10	Washington	$93,228	$45
   11	Pennsylvania	$92,431	$44
   12	Arizona	$90,652	$44
   13	Texas	$90,103	$43
   14	Michigan	$89,423	$43
   15	North Carolina	$89,414	$43
   16	Illinois	$89,090	$43
   17	Oregon	$89,071	$43
   18	Florida	$86,674	$42
   19	Ohio	$85,939	$41
   20	Georgia	$84,322	$41

   Average tax manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$144,195	$69.32	26
   2	Pacific Investment Management Company LLC	$139,046	$66.85	11
   3	Cambridge Associates	$138,720	$66.69
   4	Lindsay Goldberg	$136,038	$65.40
   5	Google	$134,625	$64.72	2
   6	Neighborly	$128,400	$61.73	1
   7	Apple	$128,042	$61.56	10
   8	DoorDash	$126,475	$60.81	7
   9	Microsoft	$125,627	$60.40	93
   10	Instacart	$123,408	$59.33	5
   11	Canva	$121,947	$58.63
   12	PayPal	$121,546	$58.44	5
   13	Radial	$120,402	$57.89
   14	SoFi	$120,311	$57.84	13
   15	eBay	$119,742	$57.57
   16	Okta	$118,803	$57.12	4
   17	BGC Partners	$117,361	$56.42
   18	Pluralsight	$116,305	$55.92
   19	DocuSign	$115,995	$55.77	4
   20	Cisco	$115,073	$55.32

4. Writing a tax manager job description

   A tax manager job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a tax manager job description:

   Tax manager job description example

   The State and Local Indirect Tax Manager is responsible for tax compliance, tax systems, and tax planning/special projects for state and local indirect taxes, including sales, use, gross receipts, and property taxes. The individual in this position is also responsible for managing the outsourced property tax process. This position reports directly to the Director - Sales Tax.
   Key Performance Elements
   
   Ensure the accurate and timely filing of sales and use tax returns, payments, account reconciliations and journal entries Review system transactional data to ascertain the proper tax treatment, investigate discrepancies, research corresponding tax law, prepare numerical analyses, and adjust accrual and return data files accordingly Identify opportunities to improve and or automate tax compliance processes to increase efficiency and quality Maintain sales tax rates and communicate changes to all stakeholders including tech and retail teams Oversee and provide guidance to the compliance team on a variety of sales tax issues and processes such as exemption certificates, product taxability, and IRS 8300 reporting Manage various tax systems to ensure compliance with sales tax laws Acquire deep knowledge of sales tax system (Vertex) and the internal sales and purchasing systems where data originates Play a lead role in the implementation of new software systems or upgrades to ensure sales tax issues are addressed appropriately Manage the outsourced property tax process Conduct multistate tax research, understand relevant issues, and provide analysis with well thought out responses to obtain resolution Stay current with tax laws and monitor legislation that could impact the company Maintain internal controls as required by Sarbanes Oxley Coach and develop associates under supervision
   
   Ideal Candidate Attributes
   
   Must possess strong organizational skills and the flexibility to perform multiple, concurrent tasks Ability to work effectively in a deadline-oriented environment Strong analytical skills with attention to detail Excellent communication and presentation skills
   
   Requirements
   
   Bachelor's degree, preferably in Accounting or Finance Minimum seven years of experience in the multistate sales and use tax area Minimum three years of supervisory experience Experience with tax software such as Vertex Indirect Tax Returns and Vertex O Series Experience with ERP systems, preferably Oracle Proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Teams, Excel and Access

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find tax managers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your tax manager job on Zippia to find and recruit tax manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit tax managers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new tax manager

   Once you've selected the best tax manager candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a tax manager?