Individual Tax Professional (CPA / EA)

Mercor is seeking experienced individual tax professionals to help evaluate advanced AI systems on realistic personal tax scenarios. You will work through a series of tax "worlds" built around complex individual taxpayers, completing well-scoped tasks that mirror real return preparation and tax planning work.

What You'll Do

• Apply federal and state (New York and/or California) tax rules to prepare, review, and reason through complex returns.
• Evaluate and correct tax analyses, calculations, and positions for accuracy and completeness.
• Provide clear, structured written explanations of your reasoning and conclusions.

Scenarios You'll Work With

• Technology professionals with ISO equity and company tender offers (AMT planning)
• W-2 employees with a primary residence and multiple rental properties
• Finance professionals with multiple K-1 investments (real estate, private equity, fund of funds)
• Retirees with RMDs and side consulting income
• High-earning W-2 employees with backdoor Roth IRA, maxed HSA, and NY-to-CA part-year / dual residency
• Business owners reporting income on Schedule C or via K-1

Required Qualifications

• 3 to 8 years of hands-on experience preparing complex individual (Form 1040) returns, currently or recently.
• Senior Associate to Manager level in individual tax compliance.
• Strong working knowledge of federal individual tax returns plus New York and/or California state returns.
• Excellent attention to detail and clear written communication.

Preferred Qualifications

• CPA or Enrolled Agent (EA) credential.
• Big 4, national, or strong regional firm experience in private client / individual tax.
• Experience with equity compensation (ISOs/RSUs), AMT, partnership K-1s, rental properties, and multi-state residency.

Why Join?

• Apply your tax expertise to shape how AI systems handle real-world personal tax work.
• Short-term, flexible, and intellectually engaging.
• Collaborate with a leading AI research organisation.