Associate Payroll

The Fountain Group. We are a national staffing firm and are currently seeking a Payroll Tax Specialist for a prominent client of ours. This position is in Lake County, IL 60064
. Details for the position are as follows:

Payroll Tax Analyst / Payroll Tax Support

Lake County, IL 60064 (100% Onsite)
Pay Rate: $30–32/hour

We are seeking a detail-oriented Payroll Tax professional to support a high-volume payroll function focused specifically on backend payroll tax operations (post-payroll processing). This is not a payroll processing/front-end payroll role. The team needs someone with hands‑on experience in payroll tax filings, tax notices, agency communication, and vendor coordination.

This role supports a fast‑paced enterprise payroll environment and will involve internal ticket management, working directly with external tax vendors, participating in testing initiatives, and resolving payroll tax‑related issues across multiple jurisdictions.

• Manage backend payroll tax activities following payroll processing
• Review and resolve federal, state, and FICA payroll tax issues
• Handle tax notices, agency correspondence, and issue resolution
• Work directly with state tax agencies, tax vendors, and third‑party providers
• Manage Power of Attorney (POA) documentation and third‑party authorizations
• Support multi‑state payroll tax compliance
• Assist with payroll tax filing activities
• Participate in testing / project‑based payroll initiatives
• Track and resolve internal payroll tax tickets
• Attend team meetings and collaborate with internal stakeholders and external vendors

Must-have experience:

• 2–3+ years of payroll tax experience
• Strong backend payroll tax experience (NOT front‑end payroll processing only)
• Payroll tax filing experience
• Multi‑state payroll tax knowledge
• Experience working with tax notices and state agencies
• Experience working with tax vendors / third‑party providers
• Excel / Microsoft Office proficiency

Soft skills:

• Strong attention to detail
• Self‑motivated / works independently
• Consistent and reliable
• Clear communication skills
• Comfortable in fast‑paced environments

Education:

• High school diploma required