Tax Manager

Betterment is a smart automated investing service that provides optimized investment returns for individual, IRA, ROTH IRA, and rollover 401(k) accounts. Its technology enables users to manage their investments in a customized, diversified portfolio. Charging a management fee of 0.25%, the company’s mobile app enables users to access, view, share, and review their portfolio’s activities as well as deposit and withdraw money from anywhere, anytime.

You are an experienced tax professional eager to leverage your skills and subject matter expertise to help build the first great financial services company of the 21st century. The secret weapon behind Betterment’s pioneering robo advisor, which created the category, is a highly automated, next generation “robo custodian”. Betterment Securities was built from the ground up as a tax reporting broker-dealer. You will have the opportunity to own the entire tax domain of this rapidly growing business, as we scale to support millions of accounts with unprecedented efficiency and precision. Our broker-dealer’s operations team works closely with our world-class engineering team to automate as much clerical and repetitive work as possible. This is a unique role that combines operations, legal/regulatory skills, software development, and project management. If the idea of rapidly turning your domain expertise into software is exciting, you will not find a more dynamic opportunity. You know the rules and understand how to build out effective and intelligent processes and procedures that respect those rules. You also know that the rules change, and you get a deep satisfaction out of researching and interpreting regulations that most people find unbearably complex. You know there’s almost always an answer, and you delight in finding it. You have a business mind and are always seeking new and improved ways of doing things. You have the confidence to make important judgement calls. You have the ability to work productively with our internal and external partners, communicating clearly and persuasively, with an emphasis on detail. You have experience with broker-dealer tax reporting, or a deep expertise in taxation that would allow you to master this domain rapidly. A proven ability to work in a fast-paced environment is a must. You must be comfortable with the idea that technology is core to any long-term solution. You are eager to work extremely hard and make an immediate and constant impact.

* Be the subject matter expert on taxation of investments at Betterment, and owner of all processes related to your expertise * Monitor the tax-related regulatory and industry landscape, and research any developments that can impact Betterment’s business * Work closely with the Legal team to interpret and apply tax-related statutes and regulations relevant to the business * Serve as the key stakeholder and cooperate closely with product managers to further automate all tax-related functions powering the core of an $8 billion broker-dealer custodian, whose assets under management have grown exponentially every year since inception in 2010 * Work with the Custody Recordkeeping engineering team to refine and scale Betterment’s state-of-the-art fractional tax lot tracking system, which drives the suite of tax optimization features used by hundreds of thousands of Betterment customers * Own, review, and constantly refine Betterment’s year-end tax reporting processes, including provision of 1099-B, 1099-DIV, and 1099-R forms to customers * Manage IRS FIRE filings and any related corrections and amendments * Manage and streamline the broker-dealer’s state tax reporting and filing requirements, including withholding payments on customer withdrawals, steering the eventual automation of all such processes * Review, refine, and further automate the broker-dealer’s backup withholding processes and reporting * Create training and support for Betterment’s customer service team in preparing for tax-related inquiries * Be the point person in all interactions with the IRS and state tax agencies, including responses to inquiries, levies, and tax notices

**You will be effective if you have:** * CPA, CFA, JD or similar * A minimum of five years experience as an industry professional at a broker-dealer custodian, law firm, tax advisor or similar * Thorough knowledge of IRS rules around taxation of investment income, and a broker-dealer’s tax reporting obligations, and ability to research and interpret new or unfamiliar guidance * Experience dealing directly with the IRS * Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to exercise sound and balanced judgment * Excellent writing and communication skills **Bonus Points if you have:** * Experience working with engineering teams in an FinTech or startup environment * Taxation LL.M (in addition to a JD) * Expertise specific to tax rules around IRA accounts, including conversions, re-characterizations, and beneficiaries