Tax Manager

At Aardvark Tax Advisors, the client comes first.
We’re a full-service tax, accounting, and advisory firm serving small businesses and entrepreneurs. Our people are uniquely enabled to spend more of their time understanding clients, solving complex problems, and building lasting relationships.

Technology helps make that possible.
As the accounting and client services practice of Cynch AI, we use proprietary AI to reduce routine tasks and free up time for higher-value client work. Our tools support the work. Our people remain accountable for the outcome.

We’re building an expanding practice with clear paths for career advancement.
We're a fast-growing practice with clear paths for advancement. We grow organically and through strategic acquisitions, and as we grow so does our team's scope of responsibility. Each level has defined expectations and advancement criteria, with performance-based opportunities for greater responsibility and equity over time.

We’re looking for a Tax Manager to own complex engagements, lead a team, and elevate the quality bar.
That means working across entity types, acting as a trusted advisor, and developing the people doing the work.

This role can be based in our
Pleasanton
,
Cupertino
, or
Santa Cruz
offices, with additional work locations possible in the North Bay.

What You’ll Do

Client Relationships & Tax Delivery

• Manage client relationships across tax planning, compliance, and consulting, serving as a primary point of contact and helping clients navigate complex tax questions.
• Review complex returns for corporations, partnerships, individuals, trusts, and estates across federal, state, and local jurisdictions.
• Deliver tax planning that goes beyond compliance; identify tax-saving opportunities, develop tax-efficient strategies, and advise clients on the impact of legislative changes.
• Stay current on legislative changes and translate them into specific, actionable guidance for clients.
• Maintain a high standard of accuracy and quality across client deliverables.

Team Leadership

• Manage, mentor, and develop tax professionals, providing clear expectations, practical feedback, and support.
• Review work, help team members strengthen their technical skills, and identify recurring knowledge or process gaps.
• Help manage workloads and priorities during busy periods to keep engagements moving and deadlines on track.

Practice Development & Quality

• Identify opportunities to expand services with existing clients where the value is real.
• Help identify and manage tax risk for the practice and for clients, ensuring positions are well-supported and defensible.
• Contribute to improvements in tax processes, documentation, and quality standards.

Core Qualifications

• Active CPA or EA required.
• 7+ years in public accounting or tax, with strong experience in compliance, planning, and advisory across individuals, partnerships, and small-business entities.
• Experience reviewing the work of other tax professionals and helping develop less-experienced team members.
• Strong technical knowledge of federal, state, and local tax regulations, including complex returns and multi-entity planning.
• Direct client relationship experience. You’ve managed multiple engagements, balanced competing deadlines, and kept clients informed.
• Proficiency in professional tax software such as UltraTax, CCH Axcess, Lacerte, or similar.

Helpful Additions

• Experience taking over and maintaining client relationships through practice transitions.
• Experience identifying opportunities to expand client relationships or introduce additional services.

California Salary Range: $140,000 to $170,000