Financial Regulatory Specialist, Senior - Business Tax Specialist Senior

Posting number: 25M00000713

Department: Finance

Job classification: Financial Regulatory Specialist*

Posting type: Open

Categories: Accounting and Finance

Summary

The Business Tax Specialist provides high-level technical support for the City’s business tax programs, including Business Personal Property (BPP), Business License (BPOL), and local excise taxes (Admissions, Transient Occupancy, and Meals). This role ensures accurate application processing, account maintenance, and tax adjustments in the Business Tax Portal. In addition to taxpayer assistance and routine administration, the Business Tax Specialist performs paraprofessional regulatory and compliance functions and serves as a lead worker to assign and monitor team workflows.

Examples of duties

Customer Service & Front Desk Support

• Manage Business related tickets escalated by the Finance Customer Service Group or Business Tax Technicians.
• Provide courteous, accurate, and efficient service to taxpayers by phone and electronic communication.
• Explain complex business tax requirements (BPP, BPOL, Admissions, Transient Occupancy, Meals) in plain language for non-tax experts.
• Triage escalated ticket requests, research accounts, and resolve complex issues; escalate matters to management when appropriate.
• Educate taxpayers on filing processes, deadlines, penalties/interest, exemptions, and documentation requirements.
• Document all interactions and resolutions in the City’s CRM/311 and Business Tax Portal systems.

Business Tax Administration & Application Processing

• Review, verify, and submit new business applications and registrations.
• Process business license renewals and updates.
• Perform business-related compliance checks to confirm registrations, licensing, and tax filing status.
• Analyze accounts and perform corrections/adjustments in the Business Tax Portal in accordance with policy and procedure.
• Monitor required filings, reconcile accounts, and ensure accurate assessment and billing for applicable business taxes.

Stakeholder Engagement & Collaboration

• Interact with business owners and third-party representatives (e.g., CPAs, attorneys, bookkeepers) to resolve tax issues and secure documentation.
• Coordinate with internal departments to streamline taxpayer services and compliance activities.
• Support cross-functional initiatives to improve compliance, reduce delinquency, and enhance taxpayer education.
• Escalate complex or sensitive matters to management with clear documentation and recommended options.

Data Integrity & Process Support

• Utilize the Business Tax Portal to process applications, adjustments, and communications.
• Perform data quality checks; reconcile discrepancies; ensure accurate account status and audit trails.
• Safeguard confidential taxpayer information and comply with all applicable privacy and records management requirements.
• Stay current on City ordinances, State statutes/regulations, and internal SOPs governing business taxes and collections.
• Recommend updates to procedures and workflows to improve efficiency, consistency, and taxpayer experience.
• Assist with staff training (e.g., systems use, customer service, compliance protocols).

Leadership, Training, and Administrative Support

• Serve as a lead worker, as assigned, by assigning daily work tasks and monitoring overall completion and quality.
• Assist with the development, preparation, and delivery of training materials and programs for staff.

Qualifications
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

Knowledge (some combination of the following):

• Basic accounting principles
• Basic competency in computer programs such as Microsoft Office Suite
• City and State tax codes
• Electronic databases and related software applications such as the MUNIS financial system and the Virginia Department of Taxation IRMS system
• General tax law

Skills (some combination of the following):

• Assisting Delinquent Collections including via providing correct assessments on collection cases
• Communicating with a variety of internal and external departments
• Conducting business tax audits to ensure compliance with City and state tax codes
• Dealing with security issues regarding access to state applications such as DMV, SCC, IRMS, etc.
• Ensuring local businesses' tax compliance of business license, business tangible personal property, admissions, meals, lodging, and daily rental taxes through discovery or assignment
• Participating in community projects
• Performing data entry on various topics such as business personal property returns
• Prioritizing the order of tax refunds
• Providing customer service as needed
• Reviewing and examining businesses' filings, books, and records under guidance of City and state codes
• Testifying in court to explain and provide information related to tax violations
• Using discretion to determine if an actual audit is needed
• Using professional judgment in deciding which resources to use during the audit process
• Verifying the authenticity of customers' provided information during business tax audits
• Oral and written communication

Abilities (some combination of the following):

• Follow standard procedures and established practices
• Exercise professional judgment
• Analyze information

MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

• Associate's degree in business, accounting, or related field
• Bachelor's degree in business, accounting, or related field is preferred
• Two years of paraprofessional account support experience such as investigating delinquent accounts, calculating payments owed; preparing cases for criminal prosecution; case management and maintaining investigatory records
• An equivalent combination of training and experience (as approved by the department) may be used to meet the minimum qualifications of the classification

LICENSING, CERTIFICATIONS, and/or OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Valid Virginia Driver's License

Supplemental information

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations.

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS: Working conditions may include exposure to travel to other locations within the City of Richmond as well as outside of the City of Richmond; exposure to hazardous physical conditions such as mechanical parts, electrical currents, vibrations, etc.; atmospheric conditions such as fumes, odors, dusts, gases, and poor ventilation; inadequate lighting; intense noise; and environmental hazards such as disruptive people, imminent danger, and a threatening environment. 

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT: Due to the nature of work assignments, incumbents must be able to perform detailed work on multiple, concurrent tasks, with frequent interruptions and under time constraint. The essential duties of this classification may require the ability to regularly perform repetitive motions, see, hear, talk, feel, finger, lift, walk, balance, and stand; frequently push, reach, crouch, grasp, and kneel; and occasionally climb, stoop, crawl, pull, and lift. The working conditions may include environmental hazards. In terms of the physical strength to perform the essential duties, this classification is considered to be light work , exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects.

* Internal use:  HR Generalist to review.