Tax Associate Director - High Net Worth Individuals

About Dean Dorton

Dean Dorton’s team makes up one of the largest advisory firms in the United States. We thrive when you thrive! We are here to help you succeed in every step of your development and career as you work with nationally recognized experts in a best place to work.

Dean Dorton’s tax team provides comprehensive solutions to our clients, serving a wide variety of entity types and industries. Our team partners with clients to meet their compliance requirements, while also providing the crucial guidance and expertise they need to implement an overall tax strategy covering local, state, national, and international areas. We support clients by minimizing their tax burden and maximizing their business and financial goals.

The Tax Associate Director, High Net Worth Individuals leads and manages a portfolio of high net worth clients and related engagements. This role oversees workflow, ensures compliance with regulatory requirements, and provides strategic tax planning and advisory services for individuals with complex financial situations. They serve as a trusted advisor to clients, often coordinating across multiple entities (partnerships, S corporations, trusts) and collaborating with attorneys, wealth advisors, and other professionals.

Additionally, this role plays a key leadership function within the firm, contributing to business development, mentoring team members, and supporting the growth of the firm’s HNW practice, maintaining a strong focus on client relationships and overall engagement performance.

This role may not be a good fit for someone who prefers purely technical work, dislikes client interaction, avoids leadership and business development, struggles in a fast‑paced environment, or doesn’t want administrative responsibilities. It requires a balance of tax expertise, management, and strategic growth efforts.

This role is ideal for an experienced CPA who enjoys working with high net worth individuals and families, thrives in a client‑facing environment, and excels in both technical tax and strategic advisory. It offers the opportunity to work on complex returns, provide meaningful planning insights, and build long‑term client relationships.

• Lead and manage client service teams and engagements focused on high net worth individuals and related entities.
• Managing workflow of engagements, ensuring deadlines are met, including the collection and review of client information to complete client engagement tasks.
• Reviewing complex individual income tax returns (Forms 1040), including multi‑state filings, K‑1 aggregation, and investment‑related reporting.
• Overseeing tax compliance and planning for trusts, estates, partnerships, and S corporations tied to individual clients.
• Developing a deep understanding of clients’ financial situations, including investments, real‑estate holdings, business ownership, and compensation structures.
• Providing proactive tax planning strategies related to income deferral, capital gains, charitable giving, and estate and gift tax considerations.
• Researching complex tax questions and issues, relying on other internal experts for guidance and support as needed.
• Engaging in tax planning activities, identifying opportunities to minimize tax liabilities and optimize financial outcomes for clients.
• Consulting with clients on tax compliance and regulatory impacts with entity type changes; merger and acquisition activity; and other business activities.
• Interfacing with taxing authorities and assisting in gathering information for federal, state, and local tax audits, as needed.
• Resolving client issues.
• Signing tax returns.
• As necessary, participating at any level of a tax engagement or project to ensure client and regulatory deadlines are met.
• Communicate with clients throughout the year to maintain relationships and address significant issues. Educate clients on tax law, regulatory, and compliance changes/requirements.
• Assess overall risk and staffing needs for tax engagements. Monitor staffing of client engagements to ensure proper leveraging…