Senior Accountant - Commodity Tax (ID: 44658)

Senior Accountant - Commodity Tax  
Job Number: 44658

As the city's primary resource on the Income Tax and Excise Tax Acts, this position will be the technical expert who provides regular advice related to all tax inquiries including GST, Non-Resident Withholding and Income Tax to a wide variety of internal stakeholders both accounting and operational on the interpretation and application of the relevant sections of these two pieces of legislation. This position will develop policy and practice to minimize risk to the City as it relates to various tax requirements and legislation. The position will lead or participate in all areas that apply tax legislation including City projects that have tax implications.

With a focus on the City of Edmonton’s Cultural Commitments of  Safe, Helpful, Accountable, Integrated and Excellent, you will:

  • Represent the City of Edmonton and be the main liaison with Canada Revenue Agency auditors and the City's external auditors on issues related to excise tax
  • Liaise with internal legal counsel on issues relating to the interpretation of the legislation or interpretation of guidance issued by the Canada Revenue Agency
  • Design and maintain appropriate internal controls and procedures to ensure the accuracy of GST reporting and the completeness of the data collected for purposes of reporting and remitting GST while managing risk at an appropriate level
  • Receive, review, consolidate and reconcile GST and non-resident withholding tax reports received from each department, and prepare and submit the monthly remittances, according to legislated timelines, to ensure that the City of Edmonton remains in compliance with associated legislation
  • Investigate and resolve issues where information does not reconcile, and advise staff on appropriate application
  • Provide technical support on issues related to the Income Tax Act including issues related to general taxation and tax exemptions relevant in a municipal setting and payroll and taxable benefit related questions
  • Oversee and/or prepare and issue T4A-NR and NR4's for non-resident withholding tax, GST/HST pension entity rebate applications, and any other necessary rebate or election forms
  • Prepare, document and maintain process overviews and procedures for tax compliance and maintain complete working paper files supporting the submissions to tax authorities, including month-end and year-end reconciliation reports.
  • Perform research, analyze issues, document conclusions in tax any issues impacting the tax compliance within the working papers
  • Prepare soft close and year end financial statement working papers associated with scope of work to be included in annual reporting
  • Participate as an active member of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Tax Committee which advocates for, and provides review and valuable input into changes proposed to federal tax legislation impacting the municipal sector across Canada
  • Perform other related duties as required

Qualifications:

  • A professional accounting designation (CA, CMA, CGA, CPA) is required
  • 5 years of progressively responsible accounting experience within a large organization, including excise tax and income tax research, application and advice is required
  • Expert understanding of general accounting activities (reconciliation, financial analysis, year-end activities, financial statement preparation) is required
  • Significant knowledge and practical experience with the Excise Tax and Income Tax Acts is required
  • Completion of the CPA In-depth GST/HST program would be an asset
  • Technical proficiency in major financial systems such as SAP, in addition to strong technical proficiency with major financial software systems is required
  • Advanced Microsoft Excel skills is required, in addition to proficiency using Google Applications and Microsoft Office Suite
  • Excellent independent, problem solving, analytical, attention to detail, and conceptual skills for application in a complex financial environment is required
  • Highly developed business acumen with proven ability to support management in effective decision making
  • Strong aptitude to maintain working relationships with all levels of management and non-management personnel and build strong teams is required
  • Excellent communication skills is required both written and oral with the ability to communicate effectively both within finance and to staff without a financial background
  • Effective prioritization and organizational skills and demonstrated ability to plan, coordinate, and lead numerous projects outside of the day-to-day activities is required
  • Experience applying public sector accounting standards (PSAS) as directed by Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada Public Sector Handbook would be an asset
  • Demonstrate alignment with the Cultural Commitments of Safe, Helpful, Accountable, Integrated and Excellent, fostering an environment for others to do the same. For more information on the City’s Cultural Commitments, please visit edmonton.ca/our-culture 
  • Demonstrate the foundational competencies, key behaviours and attributes of the City’s six leadership competencies: Courage, Inclusivity, Values-Based Influencer, Collaborative Networker, Systems Thinker and Creative Innovator.  For more information on the City’s leadership competencies, please visit edmonton.ca/our-culture
  • Hire is dependent on a Police Information Check satisfactory to the City of Edmonton. There may be a cost associated with this requirement
  • Applicants may be tested

The City of Edmonton is committed to inclusive, respectful and equitable workplaces that represent the communities we serve. We continuously improve our systems, policies and practices to remove barriers and ensure our employees, in all their diversity, can succeed. We value applicants with a diverse range of skills, experiences and competencies, and encourage you to apply. To learn more, see the Art of Inclusion: Our Diversity and Inclusion Framework here: https://bit.ly/3hd2d95.

The City of Edmonton strives to provide reasonable access and accommodations throughout the application and selection process. If you would like to request an accommodation at any stage of the process, please contact Employment@edmonton.ca

COVID-19 Notice: The City of Edmonton has implemented a COVID-19 Vaccination Policy. Employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide proof of vaccination. Employees who cannot be fully vaccinated on the basis of a protected legal ground (e.g. medical, religious) may request an exemption. Please note that this policy applies to all employees, including new hires, and volunteers. If your application is successful, you will be asked to provide proof of vaccination or request an exemption.

For more information, please refer to our COVID-19 Vaccination Policy (bit.ly/3lKwb6j) and COVID-19 Vaccination Procedure (bit.ly/39BICMt).

Up to1 permanent full-time position

Hours of Work: 40 hours per week; Monday to Friday

The weekly hours of work for this position are currently under review and may change at a future time. Any changes will be made in accordance with the City of Edmonton/Civic Service Union 52 collective agreement and the incumbent will be notified in advance.

Salary: $48.416 - $61.152 (Hourly); $101,092.610 - $127,685.380 (Annually)

Talent Acquisition Consultant: RM/SG 

Classification Title: Senior Accountant
Posting Date: Nov 15, 2022
Closing Date: Dec 6, 2022 11:59:00 PM (MST)
Number of Openings (up to): 1 - Permanent Full-time
Union: CSU 52
Department: Financial Services
Work Location(s): Chancery Hall, 6th Floor, 3 Sir Winston Churchill Square Edmonton T5J 2C3