Experienced Tax Staff - Trust and Estate

Position Summary

We are seeking an Experienced Tax Staff to join our Trust and Estate team. This role is ideal for someone who has developed a solid foundation in trust and estate taxation and is ready to deepen their technical skills in fiduciary accounting, Form 1041 preparation, and estate/gift tax compliance. You will support a wide range of high-net-worth clients, fiduciaries, attorneys, and beneficiaries while working closely with senior staff and managers to deliver high-quality service. Whether you intend to specialize or gain exposure across many industries, you won’t be limited at Geffen Mesher.

What you’ll be doing

Fiduciary Income Tax (Form 1041)

• Prepare federal Form 1041 and applicable state fiduciary income tax returns for trusts and estates.
• Allocate income, deductions, and distributions in accordance with governing entities and state law.
• Generate and review Schedule K-1s for beneficiaries and reconcile allocations to trust accounting and tax software.
• Analyze distribution activity to determine proper DNI (Distributable Net Income) treatment and the taxable/tax free portions of beneficiary distributions.

Estate & Gift Tax (Forms 706 and 709)

• Assist in preparing Form 706 (estate tax returns) including asset schedules, valuations, expense allocations, and portability elections.
• Prepare Form 709 (gift tax returns) and understand annual exclusion and lifetime exemption concepts.
• Support research on state specific filing requirements, thresholds, and deadlines for estate and fiduciary filings.

Trust & Estate Administration Support

• Review wills, trust agreements, probate documents, appraisals, and account records to interpret terms affecting tax reporting.
• Assist with trust accounting, including income/principal allocations and record keeping.
• Communicate with clients regarding required tax documents, deadlines, and filing needs.

General Tax & Compliance

• Use tax software to prepare returns, workpapers, and supporting schedules.
• Perform basic tax research with guidance and summarize findings clearly.
• Ensure accurate and timely filings across multiple jurisdictions.

What makes you a fit

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Business, or related field.
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Enrolled Agent (EA), or actively pursuing certification.
• A minimum of 1–3 years’ experience in public accounting with exposure to estate, trust, or high net worth individual taxation.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, and Outlook.
• Experience with Caseware and ProFx software preferred.
• Strong knowledge of common book-to-tax timing differences (accruals, reserves, inventory, deferred revenue).
• Strong knowledge of fixed asset accounting and depreciation methods.
• Intermediate knowledge of state and local tax concepts (nexus, apportionment, compliance).
• Intermediate knowledge of income tax provision concepts and calculations.

Compensation & Benefits

At Geffen Mesher, we value transparency and equity in compensation. The compensation offered for this position will be based on a variety of factors including, but not limited to: years of relevant experience, unique or specialized skill sets, education, licensure, internal equity, and location. The estimated salary range for the Experienced Tax Staff is $70,000-$80,000. 

Additional Benefits Include

• 401k with a 3% employer contribution
• Discretionary profit sharing of up to 4.5% annually 
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance. We cover 100% of the individual medical premium!
• Generous PTO, plus 12 Paid Holidays, 8 hours of Volunteer Time, and Paid Parental Leave
• Hybrid work options and flexible working hours in the summer 
• Parking and Transit Reimbursement
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• On-site gym and locker room
• Incentive plan for sales leads
• Generous Employee Referral Program

Company Overview

Geffen Mesher and Company, PC (GMCO) proudly stands as one of Portland's foremost locally owned accounting firms, with a distinguished history of over 90 years dedicated to serving clients throughout the Northwest. We owe our enduring success to our client-centric ethos and unwavering commitment to our team members. We provide a full suite of professional services, including Accounting, Assurance, Business Consulting, Business Valuation, Data and Analytics, Litigation Support, Family Office, Transaction Services, and full-service Tax planning, spanning several industries.

At GMCO, we believe in fostering strong, lasting partnerships with our clients, and we do the same for our team members. We are a large firm with a small firm feel. Our shareholders are humble, down-to-earth humans who hire and support motivated and resourceful people and provide opportunities to lead successful personal and professional lives. We provide ample growth opportunities whether you are starting as an intern, or you are a seasoned manager. 

Geffen Mesher is committed equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law. We are committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities.

To protect the interests of all parties, Geffen Mesher will not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than directly from a candidate. Any unsolicited resumes sent to the Firm, including unsolicited resumes sent to the Firm mailing address, fax machine or email address, directly to the Firm’s employees, or to the Firm’s resume database will be considered property of Geffen Mesher. The Firm will not pay a fee for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited resume. The Firm will consider any candidate for whom an Agency has submitted an unsolicited resume to have been referred by the Agency free of any charges or fees. This also includes partial resumes, candidate profiles, and candidate details or information.