Columbus, Ohio, United States
Tax executive with 15+ years of experience leading multistate, federal, and international tax functions across industrial and insurance sectors. I bring deep expertise in tax strategy, provision, compliance, and process optimization, with a proven ability to lead high-performing teams and collaborate directly with executives and external advisors. Currently serving as Head of Tax for a multinational company, where I oversee all aspects of tax planning, compliance, and dispute resolution and audit strategy. I'm particularly passionate about identifying strategic tax opportunities, implementing technology solutions, and aligning tax with broader business goals.
• Lead Tax Department of 3 tax professionals for an international industrial services company, reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer • Identified $250K+ in excess annual state income tax; modeled and designed several solutions involving differing levels of restructuring; presented and persuaded senior management to adopt my proposal • Final review of all tax returns, including federal, state and local income tax returns, sales and use tax returns, property tax returns and various other tax items • Lead procurement and implementation of property tax and indirect tax software platforms • Coach and train tax team members on various tax technical and return topics • Own and calculate annual ASC 740 income tax provision, including current and deferred tax calculations, effective tax rate analysis, and related journal entries • Serve as primary tax resource for operational and financial leadership, advising on tax implications of business decisions across federal, state, and international jurisdictions • Maintain and document internal controls over tax financial reporting, including review procedures for income tax accounts and related disclosures • Manage outside advisors, including audits of the tax provision and preparation of federal and state income tax returns • Research, document and opine on all state, federal, and foreign tax issues that arise in the organization
• Final review of state and local tax returns – over 1,800 calendar items comprising all areas of tax including income/franchise, gross receipts, sales/use, property tax and various one-off taxes and fees • During a period of high turnover in the Tax Department, managed a heavy workload which includes all tax preparation items that were previously handled by Tax Analysts • Reconciled self-run reports out of Oracle and FCCS to ensure that all payments and accruals were accounted for • Prepared year-end tax provisions for approximately twenty subsidiaries • Coached and trained tax team members on various tax technical and return topics • Asserted AFSI’s position responding to notices from tax authorities and to auditors from AFSI’s largest jurisdictions • Singularly responsible for over $350,000 in income tax refunds received from a city • Researched and documented tax technical questions • Conducted an annual comprehensive nexus study for sales tax, income tax, and other tax types • Revised all SALT workpapers and processes with an eye towards staff efficiency and accuracy • Prepared new workpapers to enable future tax efficiency projects • Led special projects as requested including: the purchase and lease of a large corporate asset; the withdrawal of entities from states; the addition of location-based information for transaction coding in Oracle; the reporting for a TIF; a reverse sales tax audit in which AFSI is seeking over $2 million in refunds from a state • Took the initiative to identify, research and advocate for potential tax savings
• Prepare tax provision quarterly for international insurance companies, including evaluating and calculating Deferred Acquisition Costs, Loss Reserve Discounts, Unearned Premiums and other deferreds • Perform various research projects related to international taxation and draft memorandum generally for an internal audience • Communicate with local controllers to facilitate getting financial information in a format which helpful for preparing the provision and US income tax forms • Incorporate elements from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act into existing provision workpapers • Utilize tax preparation software to prepare international informational forms for approximately 60 worldwide entities • Prepare AmTrust’s Country-by-Country workpapers and related Form 8975 • Ready all of AmTrust’s Forms 8621 for its Passive Foreign Investment Companies • Draft and review international transfer pricing agreements, including primary responsibility for redrafting the Master File and initial compilation of the Country-by-Country Report • Employ information from local tax returns for use in both compliance and provision • Answer questions from IRS auditors related to international operations and compile documents for use by local tax teams • Support AmTrust’s efforts in meeting FATCA reporting requirements, including for W-8BEN-E
Reviewed tax treaties and advised whether certain transactions or taxpayers were eligible for treaty protection Delivered first drafts of memoranda regarding many facets of international taxation Audited the international provisions for several Fortune 1000 companies, some of whom had engaged in complicated international restructurings Worked with subject matter experts and coordinated communication with clients and colleagues Assisted Senior Managers and Partners with restructurings of international operations Completed and reviewed Forms 8858, 8865, 5471, 5472 and required notices
Ensured that local Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 companies report tax expense and deferred tax balances in accordance with federal law by reviewing client-prepared provision Developed guidance regarding the application of state and local tax laws to the multinational restructuring of a US company Reviewed state and local tax forms to verify that IRS-mandated changes are reported correctly and timely to taxing authorities Worked within tax compliance software to report taxable earnings to the Internal Revenue Service as well as state and local taxing authorities
Developed arguments for states’ Departments of Revenue at all stages of the controversy process Researched state and local tax laws related to large corporate restructuring projects Assisted clients with the voluntary disclosure process for liabilities to taxing authorities, including income and franchise taxes, unclaimed property, and sales and use taxes Researched state and local laws for a technology company seeking incentives to open a second office Provided guidance and advice regarding state and local incentives for expansion of data centers Scoured filed tax returns for possible refund opportunities Reviewed state and local returns for compliance with changes mandated in a Revenue Agent Report Consulted for a Chamber of Commerce seeking to assess the competitiveness of its regional incentives and business climate