Job Description
Senior Tax Accountant
The Senior Tax Accountant position is an integral member of the Southern Company Services (SCS) Corporate Tax team and reports to the Income Tax Forecasting & Accounting Manager. This role’s primary responsibility is supporting the monthly income tax provision process for Southern Company’s unregulated businesses. The position is responsible for preparing and reviewing income tax calculations, journal entries, reconciliations, tax analyses, and financial reporting deliverables, while partnering with internal and external stakeholders to support accurate and timely reporting. The ideal candidate will bring strong technical tax accounting knowledge, sound judgment, attention to detail, and the ability to execute established processes by leveraging prior-year workpapers, collaborating with colleagues, and applying professional experience in an environment where formal written procedures may be limited.
- Prepare and support the monthly income tax provision process for assigned unregulated companies, including tax journal entries, current and deferred tax calculations, and detailed account analyses.
- Prepare monthly and quarterly tax reporting schedules and supporting financial reporting deliverables that summarize key income tax balances, drivers, and changes in tax positions.
- Perform and review monthly and quarterly account reconciliations, tax analytics, and variance explanations to support accurate financial reporting and timely issue resolution.
- Support ad hoc analyses, special projects, and research related to emerging tax accounting matters affecting assigned unregulated businesses.
- Research, analyze, and help resolve tax accounting issues, business transactions, and other matters affecting the tax provision process.
- Document, maintain, and improve tax provision processes, controls, and supporting workpapers to enhance efficiency, standardization, and audit readiness.
- Prepare, coordinate, and review responses to internal and external auditor requests and other information requests, ensuring timely, accurate, and well-supported deliverables.
Education and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related field required
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation preferred.
- Minimum of 2 years of relevant professional experience in income tax accounting and/or tax reporting required.
- Public accounting and/or large corporate tax department experience preferred, including experience with income tax accounting processes and workpapers.
- Experience with tax provision software (ie;Power Plan tax provision), ERP systems (Oracle, Peoplesoft, SAP), and advanced Excel-based analysis preferred.
Skills, Abilities, and Technology
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret financial data, identify issues, and develop practical solutions in a complex tax environment.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities, exercise sound judgment, and deliver high-quality work in a timely manner with minimal supervisory guidance.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical tax matters clearly and work effectively with stakeholders across departments.
- Demonstrated ability to quickly identify process improvement opportunities, strengthen controls, and rapidly learn and apply accounting and tax technology concepts to support and implement efficient, reliable tax reporting processes.
- Ability to execute established processes by referencing prior-year workpapers, asking thoughtful questions, and collaborating effectively in an environment where procedures may not always be fully documented.
- High attention to detail, accountability, and commitment to producing accurate, well-supported work in a deadline-driven environment.
Senior Tax Accountant
The Senior Tax Accountant position is an integral member of the Southern Company Services (SCS) Corporate Tax team and reports to the Income Tax Forecasting & Accounting Manager. This role’s primary responsibility is supporting the monthly income tax provision process for Southern Company’s unregulated businesses. The position is responsible for preparing and reviewing income tax calculations, journal entries, reconciliations, tax analyses, and financial reporting deliverables, while partnering with internal and external stakeholders to support accurate and timely reporting. The ideal candidate will bring strong technical tax accounting knowledge, sound judgment, attention to detail, and the ability to execute established processes by leveraging prior-year workpapers, collaborating with colleagues, and applying professional experience in an environment where formal written procedures may be limited.
- Prepare and support the monthly income tax provision process for assigned unregulated companies, including tax journal entries, current and deferred tax calculations, and detailed account analyses.
- Prepare monthly and quarterly tax reporting schedules and supporting financial reporting deliverables that summarize key income tax balances, drivers, and changes in tax positions.
- Perform and review monthly and quarterly account reconciliations, tax analytics, and variance explanations to support accurate financial reporting and timely issue resolution.
- Support ad hoc analyses, special projects, and research related to emerging tax accounting matters affecting assigned unregulated businesses.
- Research, analyze, and help resolve tax accounting issues, business transactions, and other matters affecting the tax provision process.
- Document, maintain, and improve tax provision processes, controls, and supporting workpapers to enhance efficiency, standardization, and audit readiness.
- Prepare, coordinate, and review responses to internal and external auditor requests and other information requests, ensuring timely, accurate, and well-supported deliverables.
Education and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related field required
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation preferred.
- Minimum of 2 years of relevant professional experience in income tax accounting and/or tax reporting required.
- Public accounting and/or large corporate tax department experience preferred, including experience with income tax accounting processes and workpapers.
- Experience with tax provision software (ie;Power Plan tax provision), ERP systems (Oracle, Peoplesoft, SAP), and advanced Excel-based analysis preferred.
Skills, Abilities, and Technology
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret financial data, identify issues, and develop practical solutions in a complex tax environment.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities, exercise sound judgment, and deliver high-quality work in a timely manner with minimal supervisory guidance.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical tax matters clearly and work effectively with stakeholders across departments.
- Demonstrated ability to quickly identify process improvement opportunities, strengthen controls, and rapidly learn and apply accounting and tax technology concepts to support and implement efficient, reliable tax reporting processes.
- Ability to execute established processes by referencing prior-year workpapers, asking thoughtful questions, and collaborating effectively in an environment where procedures may not always be fully documented.
- High attention to detail, accountability, and commitment to producing accurate, well-supported work in a deadline-driven environment.
About Southern Company
Southern Company is one of the largest energy providers in the United States. Based in Atlanta, Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states, natural gas distribution utilities in seven states, a competitive generation company serving wholesale customers across America and a nationally recognized provider of customized energy solutions, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications.
The men and women who work at Southern Company understand that we don’t simply provide a product or service. Clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy is essential to our way of life. More than 100 years ago, our company played a major role in the growth and prosperity of the South – and we continue to play a role today through our support of economic development and our philanthropic efforts. We believe the communities we serve should be better off because we’re there.
Our principal business is to make, move and sell energy. Those are the “whats” of our business. But it’s the “hows” that make us different. The actions of our employees are what truly define us and have earned us a high level of trust among our customers, shareholders and regulators.