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Tax Partner – Private Company
RSM is seeking an experienced Tax Partner to help lead and grow our Private Company tax practice in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. The successful candidate will serve as a trusted advisor to privately held, middle-market businesses, entrepreneurs, owner-managers and family enterprises, integrating Canadian corporate and personal tax advice with their business, ownership and family objectives. The role also includes advising high-net-worth individuals, trusts and family offices where their needs intersect with private business ownership.
This partner will lead complex client relationships and provide practical advice across the business lifecycle, including tax structuring, reorganizations, succession, estate and wealth transfer planning, and ongoing compliance. Working with other tax specialists, assurance and consulting professionals, and clients’ legal and financial advisors, the partner will coordinate integrated solutions, including cross-border advice where required.
As a senior leader in the Private Company practice, the partner will be accountable for client service, technical quality, responsible and profitable growth, engagement economics, and talent development. The role combines hands-on technical leadership with an entrepreneurial approach to building the Toronto market, developing future leaders, and contributing to the broader Tax practice.
Job Responsibilities:
Client and Technical Leadership
- Serve as the lead relationship partner and trusted tax advisor to privately held businesses, owner-managers and their families, translating complex tax matters into clear recommendations aligned with commercial and family priorities.
- Lead Canadian tax planning and implementation for private corporations and corporate groups, partnerships, shareholders and trusts, including business structuring, corporate reorganizations, ownership transitions and succession planning.
- Oversee integrated corporate, personal, trust and partnership tax compliance, including relevant elections and information reporting; provide senior review of significant technical positions, planning memoranda and implementation documentation.
- Lead complex technical research and the assessment of legislative and administrative developments; advise clients on implications and planning opportunities, and coordinate responses to Canada Revenue Agency and provincial tax authority enquiries, reviews and audits with specialists as appropriate.
- Coordinate with Canadian and U.S./international tax, M&A tax, indirect tax, estate and trust, and other specialists to address acquisitions, divestitures, cross-border structures and wealth transfer needs without requiring the partner to be a specialist in every discipline.
- Advise business owners and their families on estate, wealth transfer, post-mortem and philanthropic tax planning, working with legal counsel and other advisors to support effective implementation.
- Oversee tax accounting and provision support for private-company financial reporting engagements, coordinating with assurance teams on significant current and deferred tax matters.
Growth and Market Leadership
- Develop and execute a Toronto and Greater Toronto Area market strategy for private-company tax, with accountability for originating, winning and expanding appropriate client relationships and delivering responsible, profitable growth.
- Build and convert a qualified pipeline through existing clients, internal collaboration and relationships with lawyers, bankers, investment and wealth advisors, and other centres of influence serving entrepreneurs and family enterprises.
- Lead proposals, articulate compelling value propositions and agree appropriate engagement scope and fees; identify broader client needs and bring together relevant firm capabilities.
- Build market presence through client education, thought leadership, professional and business networks, and targeted industry initiatives; collaborate across offices and service lines to deepen strategic relationships.
Engagement and Operational Leadership
- Maintain partner accountability for engagement quality, client acceptance and continuance, staffing, scope, pricing, profitability, billing, collections and the overall client experience.
- Direct the client portfolio and engagement lifecycle, ensuring clear responsibilities, realistic budgets and timely delivery; address scope changes, resource constraints, quality issues and economic risks promptly.
- Champion standardized processes, tax technology, automation, data-driven insights and appropriate use of AI and global delivery capabilities to improve quality, scalability and client outcomes, while safeguarding confidential information and maintaining professional review.
- Exercise sound professional judgment, consult on significant technical and risk matters, and uphold the firm’s quality, independence, ethics, confidentiality and risk management expectations.
Talent and Enterprise Leadership
- Recruit, coach, sponsor and develop professionals at all levels, building Canadian private-company tax expertise and a sustainable pipeline of future partners and practice leaders.
- Foster an inclusive, collaborative and accountable team culture through clear expectations, timely feedback, meaningful development opportunities and a commitment to retaining talent.
- Lead succession and workforce planning, capacity management and effective deployment of domestic and global teams, balancing client delivery with professional development.
- Contribute to practice strategy, technical learning and cross-service collaboration, balancing client needs, team development, practice priorities and long-term firm value.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting, business or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant academic qualifications.
- CPA designation in good standing with CPA Ontario (or eligibility to obtain CPA Ontario membership), or an equivalent professional qualification appropriate to the role.
- Minimum of twelve (12) years of relevant tax experience in public accounting, including substantial experience advising private companies and their owners on Canadian tax matters, and a demonstrated ability to originate, sell and deliver tax services to middle-market clients.
- Completion of the CPA In-Depth Tax Program or an equivalent advanced Canadian tax qualification, such as a master’s degree in taxation.
- Deep Canadian corporate and owner-manager tax expertise, including estate freezes, section 85 rollovers and other reorganizations, lifetime capital gains exemption and purification planning, tax on split income (TOSI), intergenerational transfers, succession and estate planning, and integrated corporate, personal and trust compliance; ability to recognize cross-border issues and engage specialists.
- Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships with business owners and senior executives, develop new business, negotiate engagement scope and fees, and grow a profitable client portfolio.
- Proven leadership of complex engagements and multidisciplinary teams, including coaching and developing professionals, managing competing priorities and deadlines, and maintaining technical quality and engagement economics.
- Excellent judgment, analytical, research, written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex Canadian tax matters clearly and collaborate effectively with clients, legal counsel, tax authorities and colleagues.
- Strong proficiency with tax research, compliance and productivity tools, including Microsoft Excel, and the ability to lead adoption of technology-enabled ways of working.
- Ability to meet client and team commitments in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area, travel to firm offices and client sites as needed, and manage peak-period demands, with accommodation as appropriate.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience as a tax partner, principal, director or senior manager in a Big Four, national or established regional public accounting firm, with a strong private-business client focus.
- Additional advanced education or specialized training in Canadian taxation, corporate reorganizations, estate and trust planning, or owner-managed business taxation.
- Established relationships in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area’s entrepreneurial, family-business and professional-advisor communities, and experience with complex family enterprises or family offices.
- Experience coordinating transaction, international or Canada–U.S. cross-border tax advice for private businesses and their owners, and contributing to thought leadership, client education or professional tax forums.
At RSM, we offer a competitive benefits and compensation package for all our people. Learn more about our total rewards at https://rsmcanada.com/careers/life-at-rsm/rewards-and-benefits.html.
We believe flexibility and in-person connection both play an important role in how we work and grow. Most roles at RSM follow a hybrid workstyle, which means team members are aligned to an RSM office and come together in person when it best supports clients, teams, development or relationship-building. Some roles may be virtual or primarily on-site based on role requirements, team priorities and client needs.
RSM does not tolerate discrimination and/or harassment based on race; colour; creed; sincerely held religious beliefs, practices or observances; sex (including pregnancy or disabilities related to nursing); gender (including gender identity and/or gender expression); sexual orientation; national origin; ancestry; familial or marital status; age; physical or mental disability; citizenship; political affiliation; medical condition (including family and medical leave); domestic violence victim status; past, current or prospective service in the Canadian uniformed service; Canadian Military/Veteran status; pre-disposing genetic characteristics or any other characteristic protected under applicable provincial employment legislation.
Accommodation for applicants with disabilities is available upon request in connection with the recruitment process and/or employment/partnership. RSM is committed to providing equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete an application, interview, or otherwise participate in the recruiting process, please call us at 800-274-3978 or send us an email at careers@rsmus.com.
