Bookkeeper & Payroll Specialist

Company DescriptionTax Cat Consulting is a family‑owned tax firm based in the heart of St. Anthony Park (Saint Paul, MN). We specialize in tax preparation, bookkeeping, and consulting for small businesses, creatives, and self‑employed individuals. Our clients largely consist of local individuals, small business owners, and solopreneurs.We pride ourselves on blending modern technology with classic accounting practices to make taxes and bookkeeping approachable, accurate, and stress‑free. As a growing start‑up, we value flexibility, family, and creating systems that allow us to serve clients efficiently without sacrificing personal connection. We are an inclusive workplace and welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities, ages, and experiencesRole DescriptionWe’re seeking a Bookkeeper & Payroll Specialist who can ensure the accuracy of our bookkeeping and payroll processes, perform insightful financial analysis, ready books for tax preparation, and create adjusting journal entries. This role requires extreme attention to detail and a commitment to professional skepticism: triple‑checking work and safeguarding sensitive financial information. This will be a hybrid position with flexible on-site hours (largely for team meetings, document pickup / drop-offs, and occasional in-person client meetings).This is an excellent role for someone who enjoys digging into numbers, spotting outliers, and helping clients understand their finances in simple language. We welcome both seasoned professionals and those eager to grow into the role.This position will be responsible for maintaining accurate financial records, generating financial reports, reconciling accounts, and serving as the primary point of contact for the client. This role involves utilizing accounting and payroll software to manage financial data while working closely with the team to ensure clients feel supported, informed, and compliant.The ideal candidate has a strong understanding of underlying accounting principles and could confidently perform bookkeeping and payroll manually if needed.Critical Tasks & Responsibilities:Set up and clean up bookkeeping systemsCreate and maintain charts of accounts aligned with tax reportingPerform monthly bookkeeping (categorization, reconciliations, journal entries)Run and manage payroll (including manual payroll when needed)Assist with payroll setup (Gusto, ADP, QuickBooks, etc.)Review financials, identify discrepancies, and flag issuesIdentify discrepancies, missing information, or potential issues proactivelyCommunicate with internal team regarding client status, missing info, and needs Support 1099 tracking and reportingMeet time-sensitive deadlines and improve internal workflowsAsking thoughtful follow-up questions to clientsCommunicating clearly with clients across in-person, virtual, phone, and email formatsAbility to apply industry comparisons, common metrics, and accounting ratiosCompetencies & QualificationsRequired2+ years bookkeeping experienceStrong understanding of debits/credits, financial statements, bookkeeping conceptsPayroll experienceQuickBooks (or similar software) proficiencyAbility to build/clean up books independentlyHigh attention to detail and problem-solving abilityComfortable learning new systems quicklyAbility to work independently and efficiently on-site and off-siteComfortable working in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environmentDesiredSmall business or tax firm experienceFamiliarity with Gusto, ADP, or similarBasic tax knowledge and ability to review returns for alignmentExperience with messy/complex bookkeeping cleanupsValuesKindness & respectOwnership & accountabilityCuriosity & continuous learningProactivityClient-first mindset