Tax Partner – Financial Services (Hedge Funds / Fund of Funds / Private Equity)
Public Accounting Firm | Independent | No Private Equity Ownership
San Francisco Bay Area (Hybrid)
Position Overview
A well-established, partner-led public accounting firm is seeking a Tax Partner – Financial Services to strengthen and grow its Investment Funds practice.
This role is specifically designed for a senior tax leader from a public accounting background with deep expertise advising:
- Hedge Funds
- Fund of Funds (FOF)
- Private Equity Funds & Sponsors
This is not an in-house role and not a private equity–backed platform. The firm is fully independent, with no private equity ownership now or in the future.
The incoming Partner will serve as a trusted strategic advisor to fund managers, general partners, and management companies while helping shape the long-term direction of the Financial Services Tax practice.
Key Responsibilities
Client Advisory & Relationship Leadership
- Serve as lead tax advisor to hedge funds, fund of funds, and private equity funds
- Advise fund sponsors and management companies on structuring, formation, and operational tax matters
- Provide guidance on GP/LP structuring, carried interest, and sponsor economics
- Act as trusted advisor to fund CFOs, controllers, tax directors, and legal counsel
- Lead high-level advisory discussions beyond compliance work
Technical Financial Services Tax Leadership
- Provide advanced expertise in partnership taxation (Subchapter K)
- Oversee complex partnership allocations, capital accounts, waterfalls, and carried interest structures
- Review and supervise partnership returns and investor reporting (Schedule K-1s)
- Advise on multi-tiered structures, blocker entities, and management company taxation
- Address multi-state, withholding, and investor-level considerations
- Support fund-level transactions, restructurings, secondary transactions, and exits
- Guide tax planning for domestic and offshore fund structures where applicable
Practice Growth & Leadership
- Drive strategic growth of the Financial Services Tax practice
- Collaborate with audit and advisory leaders serving asset management clients
- Mentor and develop managers and senior managers within the FS tax team
- Contribute to succession planning and long-term leadership development
- Participate in firm strategy discussions as a key Partner leader
Qualifications
Experience
- 12+ years in Financial Services / Investment Funds tax within public accounting
- Currently a Partner, Principal, Managing Director, or Senior Director ready for partnership
- Deep client experience with hedge funds, fund of funds, and private equity sponsors
- Background from Big 4, national, or strong regional firms with established funds practices
- Proven experience building and maintaining fund sponsor relationships
Technical Expertise
- Advanced knowledge of partnership taxation (Subchapter K)
- Strong experience with carried interest, profits interests, and sponsor-level taxation
- Expertise in complex allocation methodologies and fund economics
- Experience with multi-tier and alternative investment structures
- CPA required; MST, JD, or LLM (Tax) preferred
Leadership & Business Development
- Demonstrated ability to lead sophisticated financial services clients
- Existing relationships within the hedge fund / PE ecosystem preferred
- Entrepreneurial mindset aligned with long-term, independent firm growth
- Collaborative leadership style focused on team development and retention
- Ability to balance technical depth with commercial awareness
Why This Opportunity
- Independent public accounting firm — no private equity ownership
- Partner-led culture focused on stability and long-term value
- Strategic voice in shaping the Financial Services Tax practice
- Platform to grow hedge fund, FOF, and PE relationships with full firm support
- Emphasis on organic growth, not short-term PE-driven metrics
