Staff AccountingAt — XOA TAX

• Assist in preparing individual and business tax returns

• Collect, organize, and review client financial documents

• Enter and reconcile financial data using accounting and tax software

• Support senior accountants during tax planning and compliance work

• Perform basic bookkeeping and account reconciliations

• Research basic tax issues and assist with tax notices when needed

• Maintain accurate records and ensure client confidentiality

• Meet deadlines during busy tax seasons

Tasks:

• Data Analysis & Input: Analyze client financial documents (W-2s, 1099s, K-1s, and brokerage statements) to accurately input data into professional tax software.
• Drafting Returns: Prepare preliminary federal and state tax returns for individuals (Form 1040), Partnerships (Form 1065), and S-Corporations (Form 1120-S).
• Book-to-Tax Adjustments: Assist in reconciling book-to-tax differences, ensuring client financial statements align with tax accounting rules.
• State Compliance Filing: Draft state-specific entity filings, such as the California Form 568 for Limited Liability Companies (LLCs), ensuring correct principal business activity codes are applied.
• Trial Balance Maintenance: Import, clean up, and adjust client trial balances within accounting software (e.g., QuickBooks Online, CaseWare).
• Diagnostic Troubleshooting: Identify and resolve software-generated diagnostic errors or clearing notes before submitting files to senior reviewers.
• General Ledger Adjustments: Propose basic adjusting journal entries (such as depreciation or accruals) for supervisor approval.
• Workpaper Compilation: Construct standardized, audit-ready Excel workpapers complete with standard accounting tick marks, clear cross-referencing, and explicit source documentation.
• Open-Items Management: Maintain and update \\Open-Items\\ lists, documenting missing client records or outstanding questions needed to complete an engagement.
• Professional Correspondence: Draft internal memos outlining tax research findings and prepare professional emails to senior team members regarding project roadblocks or status updates.

TRaining:

An initial walkthrough covering firm policies, data privacy and cybersecurity protocols, and an introduction to the firm’s culture and workflow management software.
Hands-on workshops and skills training focused on industry-specific software.
A supervisor will provide a high-level overview of the client’s industry, business model, and specific accounting needs. The students will learn why a particular workpaper or tax schedule is necessary, not just how to fill it out. They will be trained to review identical workpapers or tax returns from the previous year to use as a blueprint for formatting, tick marks, and methodology for current tasks.
A supervisor will shadow staff accountants during complex procedures, such as a client intake interview, or a tricky tax research scenario.
The firm will provide scheduled one-on-one weekly check-ins that are a safe space to ask \\silly\\ questions, review the students' progress toward your learning goals, troubleshoot software bottlenecks, and receive constructive feedback on their workpapers.

Learning Outcome:

By the end of the academic internship, the student will be able to prepare basic federal and state corporate and individual tax returns (e.g., Forms 1040, 1065, and 1120S) from client-provided financial data, navigate and efficiently utilize industry-standard CPA software (such as Proseries and Quickbook), and improve their professional communication & workpaper documentation.