Senior Tax Professional (EA/CPA)

The short version

Our legacy preparer is retiring after decades with the firm. We're hiring the person who grows into that seat — and beyond it. If you're a few years into your tax career, credentialed (or close), and tired of being a production line at a bigger shop, this is the rare opening where the path to real ownership in an established firm is on the table from day one. We've been serving Montana since 1933. We intend to be here in 2093. This hire is part of how.

About us

Swanson Agency is a Montana-owned, multi-generational firm serving individuals, small businesses, farms, and ranches from offices in Whitefish and Pendroy. We pair Montana straight talk with a genuinely modern operation — cloud tax software, QuickBooks Online, and custom internal tools we built ourselves. Roughly 1,100 clients, most of whom have been with us for years, many for generations.

The role

Year-round, permanent tax seat. You'll start carrying prep volume in an established client book, take on IRS and state resolution work as you prove out, and grow into review and advisory as the firm's service lines expand. The ceiling here is not "senior preparer." It's the tax practice itself.

Year one: Individual, business, farm, trust, and entity return prep — including the complex ones where judgment matters. Resolution work (notices, penalty abatement, POAs) with direct mentorship from an EA who handles controversy work daily.

Years two and three: Independent resolution caseload. Review of staff-prepared returns. A seat in our growing tax advisory and planning practice.

Beyond: For the right person, an equity conversation. We mean that literally, not as recruiting copy.

Who we're looking for

• Active EA or CPA — or exams in progress with a clear finish line. If you're two parts through and hungry, talk to us.
• 2+ years of hands-on tax prep. We care more about your slope than your years.
• Detail-oriented to the core. This role rewards people who catch what others miss.
• Genuinely tech-forward. We build and adopt tools constantly. We want someone who improves our systems, not someone who tolerates them.
• Client-first instinct. Our clients are farmers, tradespeople, and small business owners. They get straight answers here.
• Drake Tax and Canopy experience a plus. Farm/ranch tax exposure a plus. Neither required — we'll teach you.

Compensation & benefits

• $38–46/hr depending on credential and experience
• 401(k) with match, plus profit sharing
• Relocation assistance available for the right candidate
• Continuing education fully supported — credits, exam fees, and study time if you're finishing your credential
• Flexible vacation
• 4-day work weeks all summer (Memorial Day through Labor Day)
• Scheduling flexibility outside filing season

Why this seat is different

Most firms your age can offer you a job. Very few can offer you a stake in something that's already lasted 90 years. You'd work directly with the owner — an EA with a deep practice in IRS representation, farm and ranch tax, and estate planning — in a firm small enough that your work is visible and large enough that the book is real. You'll live in Whitefish, which we won't oversell because you already know.

Clear Thinking. Straight Talk.

CPA or EA license (or active exam progress) required. Work location: in person, Whitefish, MT.

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Continuing education credits
• Opportunities for advancement
• Profit sharing

License/Certification:

• CPA or EA License (Required)

Location:

• Whitefish, MT 59937 (Preferred)

Ability to Relocate:

• Whitefish, MT 59937: Relocate before starting work (Preferred)

Work Location: In person

Swanson Agency has been serving Montana families and businesses since 1933. We are now in our fourth generation of family ownership, with offices in Whitefish, Kalispell, and Pendroy and about 1,200 clients. Our people are farmers and ranchers, contractors and tradespeople, and small business owners across the Flathead Valley and the Hi-Line.
We do tax preparation, accounting, advisory work, and insurance. We are a small team that leans on good systems and modern tools, and we expect everyone here to think, not just process.
Clear Thinking. Straight Talk. Montana Roots. Future Focused.