Accounting Expert

Role Description

Mercor is partnering with one of the world’s leading AI Labs on a project to improve how financial information is interpreted, verified, and communicated.

We’re seeking CPAs, Enrolled Agents, and experienced U.S. tax professionals to review federal and state tax returns and produce clear, structured insights . This is a remote, short-term engagement with flexible hours. You’ll analyze the contents of various returns and document key findings that help verify facts, highlight edge cases, and surface important follow-ups.

Key Responsibilities

• Review a variety of U.S. tax returns (federal and state) and related forms/schedules.
• Extract concise insights (e.g., filing status, income sources, deductions/credits, refund/amount-owed drivers, cross-year changes).
• Create short verification checklists / follow-up questions an accountant would ask to confirm accuracy or resolve ambiguity.
• Flag anomalies and edge cases (e.g., multi-state moves, amended filings, AMT, unusual credits, penalties/interest).

Types of Returns & Scenarios You May Review

• Federal : Form 1040 / 1040-SR and common schedules (A, B, C, D, E, SE), W-2, 1099 variants (NEC/INT/DIV/B/R/K), K-1, amended returns (1040X).
• State : Wide coverage across all 50 states, including states with no income tax; states with distinctive rules/credits; and local tax jurisdictions (e.g., NYC, Philadelphia).
• Filing situations : Single, MFJ, MFS, HOH, QSS; life events and year-over-year changes.
• Common themes : Employment/self-employment, rental activities, capital gains, retirement distributions, education benefits, EITC/CTC, HSA, property transactions, NOLs, foreign income/FTC, rollovers/conversions, and more.

Qualifications

• CPA or EA , and 7+ years of experience of hands-on U.S. individual/business tax preparation across multiple states.
• Strong working knowledge of Form 1040 ecosystems and state equivalents (including nonresident/part-year and amended filings).
• Excellent written communication: able to produce crisp, well-referenced notes and checklists.
• Detail-oriented with sound judgment on materiality, consistency, and data quality.
• Comfortable working with provided materials and following confidentiality guidelines.

Engagement Details

• Fully remote and asynchronous; work from anywhere on your own schedule while meeting project demands.
• Short-term project with potential for extension based on performance and need.
• Start after a brief calibration/pilot to align on style, depth, and formatting.

Compensation & Contract Terms

• Competitive hourly rate based on experience ( $50–$60 USD/hr)
• Independent contractor
• Payment via Stripe Connect

Application Process

• Submit your resume/CV outlining relevant tax experience.
• Complete a short sample task (we’ll provide example materials) to demonstrate review quality and writing clarity.
• Share your availability and capacity for the project window.
• Selected candidates will be contacted promptly with next steps.