Sr. Tax & Compliance Analyst

The Senior Customer Support Analyst –serves as the second tier of customer support on the MyLodgeTax team, handling complex tax compliance inquiries escalated from our front-line support team. This role is the subject matter resource customers and internal teams turn to when issues require deeper investigation, specialized knowledge, or direct resolution.

From back-filing cases to tax notice resolution, this analyst ensures customers receive accurate, timely, and clear guidance to meet their multi-jurisdictional compliance obligations. Strong written and verbal communication, sharp organizational skills, and a commitment to deadlines are the foundation of success in this role.

This role directly contributes to improving customer experience, minimizing compliance risk, and delivering consistent, high-quality service — all while supporting Avalara's AI-first operational strategy.

How This Role Elevates Avalara

• Protects customer satisfaction by resolving complex, escalated issues that front-line support cannot independently address.
• Reduces compliance risk for customers by driving accurate, timely resolution of tax notices and back-filing cases.
• Strengthens the front-line team's effectiveness through knowledge sharing, pattern identification, and documentation of recurring issues.
• Improves operational efficiency by managing case volumes effectively and supporting processes through AI-enabled workflow improvements.
• Builds customer trust through clear, professional communication across every interaction — written and verbal.

Responsibilities

• • Receive and resolve complex customer support cases escalated from the front-line customer support team, owning each case through to full resolution.
  • Investigate and resolve tax notices received by customers, treating these as high-priority cases requiring prompt, accurate action and coordination with jurisdictions and internal teams.
  • Respond to jurisdiction inquiries requesting taxpayer or filing information, ensuring accurate and timely responses in accordance with compliance requirements.
  • Support back-filing and amendment cases, including researching filing history, preparing required documentation, and coordinating with Professional Services for initial inquiries.
  • Address customer questions related to revenue reporting, billing, refunds, and adjustments, providing clear and accurate guidance.
  • Process license number requests and provide license copies when available in the customer file.
  • Handle return copy requests, routing cases involving more than one period or one property.
  • Process straightforward bank account change requests submitted before the reporting period; escalate more complex bank account or payment routing changes to the Treasury team per established guidelines.
  • Route NACHA questions for new properties or customers to the Onboarding team.
  • Address cancellation inquiries clearly and professionally, guiding customers through the process or escalating as appropriate.
  • Respond to Proof of Payment requests — including check and confirmation copies — from customers and jurisdictions.
  • Escalate customer complaints received via Social Media or Better Business Bureau (through Customer Excellence) to management promptly, providing full case details to support timely resolution.
  • Provide phone support to customers requiring direct, real-time assistance on complex or sensitive issues.
  • Set clear expectations with customers on timelines, next steps, and outcomes throughout the resolution process.
  • Communicate proactively and professionally — in writing and verbally — with customers, internal teams, and taxing jurisdictions.
  • Manage an active case queue, prioritizing effectively to meet SLAs, deadlines, and customer commitments.
  • Identify recurring escalation patterns and contribute to process improvements that reduce front-line escalation volume over time 
• • Collaborate cross-functionally to remove blockers and drive faster, more complete resolutions.

AI Expectations

We are hiring an AI Bar Raiser — someone who brings applied AI knowledge and uses it to meaningfully improve how case management and compliance workflows are performed. This role is expected to elevate AI usage across the team to improve resolution speed, accuracy, and scalability.

• • Use AI as a critical-thinking partner across multiple systems and jurisdictions, combining AI output with domain expertise and validation.
  • Leverage AI tools to accelerate case research, tax notice investigation, and back-filing analysis.
  • Use AI to summarize customer inquiries, case history, and next actions for quicker decision-making.
  • Draft clear, accurate, and professional customer and internal communications using AI — with proper validation before sending.
  • Utilize AI to identify patterns in escalated cases and recurring issues to reduce repeat inquiries.
  • Drive efficiency by applying AI to reduce case aging, improve SLA adherence, and streamline workflows.
  • Implement at least one AI-enabled improvement in case handling, communication, or tracking processes within the first 12 months.
  • Apply AI responsibly in alignment with Avalara security standards and share best practices to elevate team performance.

12-Month Success Signals

• Independently handles escalated support cases with confidence, delivering timely and accurate resolutions with minimal rework.
• Consistently meets SLA targets and customer-facing deadlines, including tax notice response windows and back-filing timelines.
• Demonstrates strong knowledge of MyLodgeTax processes, tax notice resolution, and back-filing requirements.
• Receives positive customer feedback, reflecting clear communication, ownership, and follow-through.
• Contributes to a measurable reduction in repeat escalations by documenting root causes and supporting front-line training.
• Implements at least one process or AI-driven improvement that enhances case efficiency or resolution quality.
• Maintains accurate, organized case records that support audit readiness and team knowledge sharing

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business.
• 2+ years of experience in a customer-facing role handling complex inquiries, tax/compliance operations, or case management.
• Experience resolving escalated customer issues, tax notices, or back-filing scenarios preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills — able to explain complex compliance topics clearly and professionally.
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple deadlines simultaneously.
• Solid math and analytical skills, with the ability to review tax calculations, reconcile filings, and identify discrepancies.
• Comfortable with occasional phone-based customer interactions requiring clear, empathetic communication under pressure.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and ability to navigate multiple systems and tools effectively.
• Self-starter who takes ownership of their work and thrives in a deadline-driven, fast-paced environment.

Bar Raiser Expectations

We are hiring a Bar Raiser — someone who elevates the quality, consistency, and effectiveness of the team's work. This role is expected to strengthen how cases are managed and resolved by improving execution standards, reducing errors, and increasing overall team capability.

• Raise standards for case ownership, resolution quality, and customer communication.
• Improve team capability through knowledge sharing, documentation, and peer support with front-line analysts.
• Reduce repeat escalations by identifying root causes and improving processes.
• Increase efficiency by simplifying workflows and eliminating unnecessary rework.
• Improve customer outcomes through clearer communication and faster resolution.
• Leave processes, documentation, and team performance stronger than they were found.
• Use data and AI to improve execution quality.

AI is embedded in our workflows, decision-making, and products.  Success here requires embracing AI as an essential capability.

• You’ll bring experience using AI and AI-related technologies, ready to thrive here.

• You’ll apply AI every day to business challenges - improving efficiency, contributing solutions, and driving results for your team, our company, and our customers.

• You’ll grow with AI by staying curious about new trends and best practices, and by sharing what you learn so others can benefit too.

Total Rewards 

In addition to a great compensation package, paid time off, and paid parental leave, many Avalara employees are eligible for bonuses. 

Health & Wellness 
Benefits vary by location but generally include private medical, life, and disability insurance. 

Inclusive culture and diversity 
Avalara strongly supports diversity, equity, and inclusion, and is committed to integrating them into our business practices and our organizational culture. We also have a total of 8 employee-run resource groups, each with senior leadership and exec sponsorship. 

We’re defining the relationship between tax and tech.

We’ve already built an industry-leading cloud compliance platform, processing over 54 billion customer API calls and over 6.6 million tax returns a year. Our growth is real - we're a billion dollar business - and we’re not slowing down until we’ve achieved our mission - to be part of every transaction in the world.

We’re bright, innovative, and disruptive, like the orange we love to wear. It captures our quirky spirit and optimistic mindset. It shows off the culture we’ve designed, that empowers our people to win. We’ve been different from day one. Join us, and your career will be too.

We’re An Equal Opportunity Employer

Supporting diversity and inclusion is a cornerstone of our company — we don’t want people to fit into our culture, but to enrich it. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, age, gender, national orientation, disability, sexual orientation, US Veteran status, or any other factor protected by law. If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.