Tax Accountant

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona is a local, independent Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and a not-for-profit health insurance company headquartered in Phoenix. Founded in 1939, the company has more than 1,800 dedicated employees throughout its Phoenix, Tucson, Chandler and Flagstaff offices. Providing health insurance products, services and networks to more than 1 million Arizonans, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona offers various health plans for individuals, families, and small and large businesses. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona also offers Medicare supplement plans to individuals over age 65.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona helps to fulfill its mission of improving the quality of life of Arizonans by delivering a variety of health insurance products and services to meet the diverse needs of individuals, families, and small and large businesses as well as providing information and tools to help individuals make better health decisions.

• Responsible for assisting with initial preparation of all information needed for federal and state income tax filings in a consolidated corporate environment. Under the direction of the Tax Director, and working closely with other Tax Department staff, as well as with Finance professionals, this person will compile and review information needed to prepare supporting schedules and reconciliations for this purpose, as well as for monthly financial statement tax calculations and quarterly deferred tax computations for BCBSAZ and all subsidiary companies.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Required Work Experience

• 2 years of experience in corporate tax accounting

Required Education

• Bachelors degree in accounting, business, or related field of study

Required Licenses

• N/A

Required Certifications

• N/A

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Preferred Work Experience

• 4 years of experience in corporate tax accounting

Preferred Education

• Masters degree in taxation, accounting, business, or related field of study

Preferred Licenses

• N/A

Preferred Certifications

• Certified Public Accountant

ESSENTIAL job functions AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Calculate monthly tax provision for BCBSAZ and quarterly tax provisions for subsidiaries, quarterly determination of deferred tax assets and liabilities, financial reporting footnotes and other reporting requirements.
• Prepare all investment schedules necessary for annual tax return filing for a large and complex investment portfolio, including reconciliations from financial statement balances.
• Prepare all tax basis fixed asset schedules necessary for annual tax return filing and various ongoing projections.
• Prepare schedules and documentation needed for tax return preparation and provide to outside tax consultants for input to tax return software. Coordinate as needed to ensure all relevant information is provided. Responsible for update and maintenance of historical tax return software, as well as preparation of forecasted tax scenarios using specialized software for tax.
• Assist in developing tax scenarios for corporate plan and forecasting purposes.
• Prepare quarterly federal and state estimated tax payments.
• Perform general ledger tax account analysis and reconciliations.
• Provide tax accounting support to the financial reporting department.
• Assist tax director with federal income tax audits where needed.
• Develop and implement improved processes to ensure efficient and accurate calculation of information for tax reporting.
• Assist with Sarbanes Oxley documentation and compliance.
• Assist with tax research, as needed.
• The position requires a full-time work schedule. Full-time is defined as working at least 40 hours per week, plus any additional hours as requested or as needed to meet business requirements.
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

Required Job Skills

• Intermediate PC proficiency
• Intermediate skill in use of office equipment, including copiers, fax machines, scanners and telephones
• Advanced skill in excel spreadsheets
• Intermediate skill in tax software, word processing and presentation software
• Fas 109 or SSAP 101 experience, with demonstrated understanding of complex tax accounting concepts and principles
• Strong accounting and analytical skills, including tax reporting for fixed assets and investment income
• Detail oriented with strong organizational skills and ability to multi-task
• Intermediate proficiency in tax research tools

Required Professional Competencies

• Customer service skills in an operationally changing environment, with drive for results and success based on planned objectives
• Ability to perform quality assurance testing and identify, research and resolve issues.
• Ability to communicate and present effectively in a 1:1 or group setting
• Ability to deal with unpredictability and minimize variance between predicted and actual outcomes
• Flexibility and willingness to adjust to shifting demands/priorities
• Ability and to assimilate new functions, services, and systems while maintaining existing systems and programs
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and privacy
• Ability to recognize strategic opportunities and use data to make timely and sound decisions

Required Leadership Experience and Competencies

• High standard of performance while pursuing aggressive goals
• Principled approach to business and sound business ethics

PREFERRED COMPETENCIES

Preferred Job Skills

• Intermediate skill with e-filing tax returns
• Intermediate skill with AXT/Saber or BNA Tax Audit Analyzer programs
• Experience with Oracle Cloud software

Preferred Professional Competencies

• N/A

Preferred Leadership Experience and Competencies

• N/A

Our Commitment

BCBSAZ does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status or any other protected group.

Thank You

Thank you for your interest in Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona. For more information on our company, see azblue.com. If interested in this position, please apply.