Experienced Tax Staff

Portland, OR

Geffen Mesher & Company proudly stands as one of Portland's foremost locally owned accounting firms, with a distinguished history of over 90 years dedicated to serving clients throughout the Northwest. We owe our enduring success to our client-centric ethos and unwavering commitment to our team members. We provide a full suite of professional services, including Accounting, Assurance, Business Consulting, Business Valuation, Data and Analytics, Litigation Support, Family Office, Transaction Services, and full-service Tax planning, spanning several industries.

At Geffen Mesher, we believe in fostering strong, lasting partnerships with our clients, and we do the same for our team members. We are a large firm with a small firm feel. Our shareholders are humble, down-to-earth humans who hire and support motivated and resourceful people and provide opportunities to lead successful personal and professional lives. We provide ample growth opportunities whether you are starting as an intern, or you are a seasoned manager.

We are seeking an Experienced Tax Staff who takes ownership of assigned work, manages expectations, meets deadlines, and proactively communicates status, conflicts, and risks. This role applies foundational accounting and tax knowledge to prepare accurate, client-ready deliverables, exercises professional skepticism and attention to detail, and builds strong working relationships with internal team members.

This position is responsible for supporting and executing a wide range of tax compliance, planning, and research activities for business and individual clients. The Experienced Tax Staff demonstrates proficient technical skills, manages multiple engagements efficiently, and communicates professionally across channels to deliver high-quality client service. This position offers exposure across service lines and opportunities to develop either specialized or broad-based expertise while investing in continuous professional growth.

Compensation & Benefits

At Geffen Mesher, we value transparency and equity in compensation. The compensation offered for this position will be based on a variety of factors including, but not limited to: years of relevant experience, unique or specialized skill sets, education, licensure, internal equity, and location. The estimated salary range for the Experienced Tax Staff is $70,000-$80,000.

Additional Benefits Include

• 401k with a 3% employer contribution
• Discretionary profit sharing of up to 4.5% annually
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance. We cover 100% of the individual medical premium!!!
• Generous PTO, plus 12 Paid Holidays, 8 hours of Volunteer Time and Paid Parental Leave
• Hybrid work options
• Flexible working hours in the summer, Fridays are optional!
• Incentive plan for sales leads
• Generous Employee Referral Program

What you’ll be doing

• Complete routine tax return preparation engagements, including understanding engagement scope, setting timelines, monitoring budgets, and communicating issues or out-of-scope work to the appropriate team member.
• Assist with routine business and individual tax returns, estimates, projections, and related workpapers in accordance with firm standards and applicable tax law.
• Conduct tax research and draft clear, well-organized memorandums outlining facts, issues, conclusions, and supporting analysis.
• Assist with annual tax compliance, including planning, projections, extensions, responses to tax notices, and calculation of quarterly estimated payments.
• Take ownership of service delivery by managing expectations, meeting deadlines, and proactively preventing surprises for internal and external clients.
• Communicate professionally and appropriately across channels (email, Teams, phone, and in-person), tailoring messages to audience and situation, and documenting key information to ensure clarity.
• Proactively communicate work status, risks, and scheduling conflicts; remain flexible and responsive to changing priorities.
• Apply foundational knowledge of accounting, auditing, and tax principles to complete tasks accurately and efficiently.
• Execute tax and assurance-related procedures with professional skepticism, analytical thinking, and attention to detail.
• Demonstrate curiosity and initiative in understanding client businesses and industries by reviewing prior-year materials, researching regulatory developments, and engaging with team members.
• Maintain effective client relationships and begin to recognize opportunities to provide additional services; communicate potential opportunities to appropriate team members.
• Build relationships across service lines to support integrated client service.
• Provide support, coaching, and constructive feedback to less experienced staff; may supervise staff accountants as appropriate.
• Use firm tools and software effectively and document procedures clearly.
• Meet charge hour expectations and use non-charge time to support firm initiatives, professional development, and business improvement efforts.
• Participate in recurring meetings such as standups and 1:1s with advisors.
• Contribute to a positive, inclusive team culture and proactively support teammates.
• Invest in professional growth by setting career goals, engaging with mentors and advisors, and developing a peer network.
• Adhere to the firm’s core values, policies, and professional standards.
• Other duties as assigned.

What makes you a fit

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Business, or related field.
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Enrolled Agent (EA), or actively pursuing certification.
• A minimum of 1–3 years’ experience in public accounting with exposure to estate, trust, or high net worth individual taxation.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, and Outlook.
• Experience with Caseware and ProFx software preferred.
• Strong knowledge of common book-to-tax timing differences (accruals, reserves, inventory, deferred revenue).
• Strong knowledge of fixed asset accounting and depreciation methods.
• Intermediate knowledge of state and local tax concepts (nexus, apportionment, compliance).
• Intermediate knowledge of income tax provision concepts and calculations.

Geffen Mesher is committed equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law. We are committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities.

To protect the interests of all parties, Geffen Mesher will not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than directly from a candidate. Any unsolicited resumes sent to the Firm, including unsolicited resumes sent to the Firm mailing address, fax machine or email address, directly to the Firm’s employees, or to the Firm’s resume database will be considered property of Geffen Mesher. The Firm will not pay a fee for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited resume. The Firm will consider any candidate for whom an Agency has submitted an unsolicited resume to have been referred by the Agency free of any charges or fees. This also includes partial resumes, candidate profiles, and candidate details or information.