Individual Tax Professional (CPA / EA)
- Pay
- $110–$130/hr
- Location
- United States
- Type
- Contract
- Posted
- Nov 10, 2026
- Languages
- English
Client: Trapezoid
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
3–8 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.
