Tax Manager Job Description Template for Recruiters

To attract the best talent, you need to craft a clear and compelling job description that highlights the core responsibilities and desired qualifications of a tax manager. This introduction will guide recruiters through the key components of a tax manager's role, help identify the skills and experience needed, and provide tips on how to present the job in a way that appeals to top candidates in the field.

What Is a Tax Manager?

A tax manager is a senior finance professional responsible for overseeing an organization’s tax planning, tax compliance, reporting, and advisory functions. They ensure that the company meets its tax obligations (domestic and international) in a timely, accurate, and strategically aligned manner. Key responsibilities include preparing tax returns, managing relationships with external advisors and tax authorities, staying on top of changes in tax law, advising business units on tax implications of transactions, and often integrating tax strategy with overall business goals.

Where to Find a Tax Manager?

• Use niche finance & tax recruitment agencies or job sites focused on accounting/tax roles.
• Tap into networks like tax associations, CPA societies, and LinkedIn groups for tax professionals.
• Use LinkedIn Recruiter or similar tools to search for “Tax Manager,” “Senior Tax Manager,” or “Corporate Tax Lead” with the required specialism.
• Attend tax & accounting conferences or seminars (virtual or in-person) and build relationships ahead of hiring needs.
• Provide a development path; making the job posting internal first can help retain talent and shorten hiring time.

Tax Manager Job Description Template

We are seeking an experienced and meticulous individual to fill the position of Tax Manager on our team. The individual will oversee our tax preparation and compliance functions with great attention to detail.

The successful candidate's responsibilities will include managing the tax preparation and planning process, reviewing tax filings, and ensuring full compliance with tax laws and regulations.

The ideal candidate should possess a comprehensive understanding of tax principles and regulations and excellent analytical and communication skills. Additionally, the candidate must be able to thrive in a fast-paced environment, demonstrating exceptional efficiency in all areas of work.

Tax Manager Responsibilities:

• Manage the tax preparation and planning process, ensuring timely and accurate tax filings.
• Review tax filings, including corporate, individual, and partnership tax returns, for accuracy and completeness.
• Ensure compliance with tax laws and regulations, and manage tax audits and inquiries.
• Provide tax planning advice to clients and other stakeholders.
• Collaborate with other departments to ensure accurate and timely reporting and analysis.
• Ensure compliance with accounting and financial regulations and policies.
• Manage and mentor tax staff.
• Assist with other accounting and finance functions as needed.
• Provide excellent customer service to clients and other stakeholders.

Required Qualifications:

• A bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or a related field is required; a master's degree in taxation or a related field is preferred
• Minimum of 5-7 years of experience in tax preparation, planning, and compliance
• Strong understanding of tax principles and regulations, including federal and state tax laws
• Experience with tax software and systems, such as CCH Axcess or Thomson Reuters UltraTax
• CPA certification preferred
• Experience in a similar industry or field is a plus

Required Skills:

• Excellent analytical, organizational, and communication skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Strong customer service skills

Challenges in Hiring a Tax Manager

• Tax manager roles increasingly span beyond compliance: they require strategic planning, technology fluency, cross-border tax understanding, and advisory capability. The wider skill set increases the number of criteria a candidate must meet, reducing the candidate pool.
• For specialized roles such as tax manager, the cost to hire and time to onboard can be substantial (see next section).
• Because many tax professionals are already in roles and passive, recruiters may need to work harder and longer (reducing speed to hire becomes a critical metric). For example: “About half of finance and accounting managers say hiring quickly enough to land top talent is one of their top recruiting challenges.”
• Competitive compensation/salary inflation: Variation by industry and location means recruiters must be prepared to meet or exceed market expectations if they want to attract top talent.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire?

• Average salary data for tax manager roles in the U.S. show approximately US$129,367 per year as of August 2025, with top earners above US$163,000.
• For organizations in other countries, local salary benchmarking is required, but the principle applies that compensation will be significant.
• The “average cost to hire an employee” across roles is broken down: job ad posting US$100–500; employee referral bonus US$500–5,000; agency fees US$4,000–15,000+ (often 15–25% of first-year compensation); HR software and pre‐employment screening add further cost.
• For highly specialized roles like tax manager, expect agency/finder fees and sign-on bonuses to push costs higher.

Conclusion

For recruiters tasked with defining or filling a tax manager job description, it’s essential to approach the role with a clear template, realistic expectations, and strategic sourcing. The market for tax management talent in 2025 is tight: candidate supply is limited, role requirements are expanding, compensation demands are rising, and the cost of mis-hiring is high. By using a structured job description template, leveraging multiple sourcing channels, building talent pipelines ahead of time, and budgeting properly, you can increase your odds of successfully attracting and hiring a standout tax manager who will drive value for your organization.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What must I include in a tax manager job description?

A: You should include job title, department, reporting line, key responsibilities (tax compliance, planning, reporting, advisory), required qualifications (degree, certification), required experience (years, specialism), key skills (technical tax knowledge, leadership, communication), preferred competencies (technology, international tax), and details of what success looks like.

Q: How many years of experience should I ask for in a tax manager job description?

A: Typical postings ask for 5–10 years of progressive tax experience, including experience in tax compliance, planning, and possibly international or specialty tax. It depends on the scope of the role.

Q: What are the key challenges recruiters face when filling a tax manager job description?

A: As discussed above, challenges include a smaller talent pool, high compensation expectations, extended hiring cycles, increased role complexity, and competition for passive candidates.

Q: How can recruiters future-proof their tax manager job description?

A: Include adaptability, technology/automation skills (tax-tech, data analytics), international or cross-border tax exposure, change management skills (given evolving tax regulations), and emphasize continuous learning. The tax landscape is evolving, and candidates who see growth will be more attracted.

Q: How should I measure success for someone hired via the tax manager job description?

A: Key success metrics might include timely and accurate tax filings, effective tax planning and savings, reduced audit or tax risk, quality of tax‐advisory support to business units, improved tax technology/process efficiency, and leadership of the tax team.