Senior Tax Accountant

Are you an experienced public-practice accountant who wants more ownership of your clients, more direct contact with business owners, and a firm that genuinely embraces technology? Wood Accounting is a growing accounting practice based in Sutherland, working with small businesses, family groups, investors and individuals across Australia. We are looking for a Senior Accountant / Client Manager who can take ownership of a portfolio of business clients and help us continue delivering the personal, responsive service our clients value.

This is not a role where every client question or decision needs to flow through a partner. We want someone who can build relationships, take responsibility for their work, manage jobs from start to finish and become the trusted day-to-day accountant for their clients.

The role

• Responsible for a portfolio of small-business and family-group clients, including:
• Preparing and reviewing company, trust and partnership financial statements and tax returns
• Preparing more complex individual tax returns
• BAS, IAS and GST compliance
• Tax planning and year-end discussions
• Working directly with business owners and responding to day-to-day tax and accounting queries
• Following up clients for information and progressing your own jobs
• Reviewing bookkeeping and accounting records and resolving issues
• Preparing complete, organised and review-ready workpapers
• Identifying tax, accounting and compliance issues before review
• Liaising with the ATO where required
• Supporting and reviewing junior or bookkeeping staff where appropriate
• Assisting with ad hoc tax and accounting work across the practice

Depending on your experience, there may also be opportunities to assist with SMSFs, structures, advisory work and more complex tax matters.

What we are looking for

• Strong current or recent Australian public-practice experience
• Operating at Senior Accountant or Client Manager level, or ready to step into that level
• Can prepare company, trust, partnership and individual tax work with limited supervision
• Comfortable managing their own client relationships
• Strong practical knowledge of Australian tax, GST and small-business compliance
• Highly capable with Xero and Xero Tax
• Produces complete, accurate and review-ready files
• Communicates clearly and confidently with clients
• Takes ownership of deadlines and follows work through to completion
• Excellent written and spoken English
• Curious, adaptable and interested in improving how accounting work is done

CA, CPA or IPA qualifications are preferred, although strong relevant experience will also be considered.

Technology matters to us

We are a cloud-based practice and actively embrace technology, automation and AI. Our systems include:

• Xero and Xero Tax
• FYI Docs
• Microsoft 365 and Teams
• Content Snare
• Practice Ignition
• NowInfinity
• BGL 360
• ChatGPT Business

You do not need to have used every system. You do need to be comfortable learning new software, confident working in Xero and interested in using technology to improve productivity and client service. We are particularly interested in someone who is already using AI tools, or who is keen to learn how they can be used responsibly for research, drafting, workflow, process improvement and productivity.

Why Wood Accounting?

We are a small, close-knit team where your work matters and your contribution is visible. You will have:

• Genuine ownership of your own client portfolio
• Direct access to clients and business owners
• The opportunity to build long-term client relationships
• A modern, cloud-based technology stack
• Exposure to AI and automation
• Variety across compliance, tax planning and advisory work
• Direct access to experienced accountants when technical issues arise
• Less hierarchy and fewer layers of review
• Flexibility around how you work once you are established

We are growing, and there are significant tax and regulatory changes ahead. We want to grow without losing the personal service that has helped build the practice. That means finding someone who wants to become an important part of the team rather than simply process jobs.

Work arrangements

Our preference is for someone based in or around the Sutherland Shire who can work from our Sutherland office as part of a hybrid arrangement. We believe there is real value in working together in person, particularly while you are learning our clients and systems. However, we also recognise that good people value flexibility, and we are open to discussing alternative arrangements with the right candidate. Full-time is preferred, although a substantial part-time arrangement may also be considered.

Interested?

If you are an experienced accountant who enjoys working directly with clients, loves technology and wants more ownership of your work, we would like to hear from you.