Payroll Tax & Per Diem Analyst

Statement of Purpose:

The Payroll Tax & Per Diem Analyst is responsible for supporting payroll tax compliance and per diem administration to ensure accurate, timely, and compliant payroll-related payments, reporting, documentation, and issue resolution. This role analyzes payroll tax and per diem data, supports federal, state, and local compliance requirements, validates taxable and non-taxable payment treatment, maintains audit-ready records, and partners with Payroll, Tax, Finance, Legal, HR, Operations, and field teams to reduce risk and strengthen payroll controls.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following:

• Support payroll tax compliance across federal, state, and local jurisdictions, including payroll tax calculations, reporting, filings, payments, and issue resolution
• Administer and validate per diem payments to ensure compliance with company policy, project requirements, and applicable IRS/DOL guidance
• Review payroll tax and per diem data for accuracy, completeness, proper setup, documentation, and compliance risk
• Validate taxable and non-taxable treatment of payroll-related payments, including per diem, reimbursements, and other special pay items
• Prepare, review, and support payroll tax reports, agency filings, per diem reporting, reconciliations, and audit documentation
• Research and resolve payroll tax and per diem discrepancies, including employee inquiries, field office questions, agency notices, rate issues, missing documentation, and payment corrections
• Maintain accurate records and supporting documentation for payroll tax filings, per diem payments, employee expense substantiation, agency inquiries, and audit requests
• Monitor payroll tax and per diem trends, exceptions, and recurring issues to identify risks, control gaps, and process improvement opportunities
• Partner with Payroll, Tax, Finance, Legal, HR, Operations, and field leadership to ensure accurate payroll setup, reporting, compliance, and issue resolution
• Support internal and external audits, regulatory inquiries, and documentation requests related to payroll tax and per diem payments
• Assist with system setup, testing, reporting, data validation, and process improvements related to payroll tax and per diem administration
• Develop and maintain SOPs, checklists, training materials, and process documentation to support consistent payroll compliance practices
• Stay informed of applicable payroll tax, IRS, DOL, wage and hour, and reimbursement guidance impacting payroll operations
• All other duties as required

Qualifications / Requirements:

• 3–5+ years of payroll, payroll tax, payroll compliance, accounting, or related experience
• Experience with payroll tax compliance, payroll reporting, agency filings, or payroll tax issue resolution
• Experience with per diem, travel reimbursement, expense allowance, or project-based payroll payments preferred
• Working knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll tax requirements
• Familiarity with IRS accountable plan concepts, per diem substantiation, taxable versus non-taxable payments, and reimbursement documentation preferred
• Understanding of DOL wage and hour considerations related to reimbursements, per diem payments, and regular rate calculations preferred
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to identify discrepancies, trends, exceptions, and compliance risks
• Experience reviewing payroll data, employee setup, work locations, tax setup, rates, approvals, and supporting documentation for accuracy
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including data validation, reconciliations, formulas, filtering, and reporting
• Experience with payroll systems, HRIS platforms, tax software, timekeeping systems, or reporting tools
• Strong communication skills with the ability to explain payroll tax and per diem requirements to employees, field offices, and internal stakeholders
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, recurring deadlines, and compliance-sensitive work in a fast-paced environment
• High level of integrity, confidentiality, accuracy, and attention to detail
• Ability to work independently, follow established controls, escalate complex issues, and recommend process improvements
• Experience supporting multi-state payroll, project-based payroll, staffing, construction, or travel-based workforce environments
• Experience responding to payroll tax notices, agency inquiries, audit requests, or compliance reviews

Technical Expertise:

• High proficiency in MS Office (Outlook, Excel, Word, Access, and PowerPoint) and business and accounting related applications.

Benefits:

 Total Rewards package includes competitive pay with annual incentive potential. Benefits include 401k Retirement Savings Plan, paid vacation and holidays, medical, dental, short-term disability, and voluntary supplemental life insurance.

EO employer - M/F/Veteran/Disability

Tradesmen International not only offers consistent work, top pay, and employment opportunities, we also provide a benefits package that is among the best in the industry.

Our comprehensive benefits include:

• Tradesmen+ Rewards Program – earn points for hours worked
• Vacation Pay
• Health insurance
• 401(k) retirement savings plan

Tradesmen International is an EO employer - M/F/Veteran/Disability

“Be Safe” from fraud!  Tradesmen International will never ask you to pay for certifications, equipment, or other “up front”  costs as a condition of hire. Similarly, we do not request pictures of documents or IDs to private phone numbers or email addresses. If in doubt, please call or visit your closest Tradesmen office to verify the request.

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