Financial Analyst - Hotel Tax

Summary

The Financial Analyst Hotel Tax is primarily responsible for the hotel room rental tax, including billing, collecting, depositing, balancing and auditing Chester County hotels that are required to pay the room rental tax. In addition, this position will also be responsible for the Airbnb tax program. Will also expected to be familiar with the cash concentration account in order to back up the Accountant III position, if necessary.

Essential Duties

• Analyze and present fiscal material to clients, so that clients can make informed decisions.
• Develop, interpret and implement complex financial and accounting concepts or techniques for financial planning and control.
• Provide excellent customer service and support.
• Perform on-sight audits to maintain compliance with the 5% hotel room rental tax for the approximately 70 hotels registered in the county as well as all Air B&B, VRBO and others not known to the County now
• Document the conclusion of each audit; prepare a written recommendation for the Treasurer, and follow-up with a letter to the hotel. Maintain an archive of permanent audit files for each audit.
• Advise the Treasurer of information obtained from hotel owners/operators, which may serve as a warning of inappropriate behavior on the part of the hotel or the Office of the Treasurer.
• Assist the Deputy Treasurer with researching and resolving Hotel overpayments. And others as time allows
• Update and maintain an accounts receivable module in Excel and PeopleSoft to record and track information.
• Schedule of Hotel Audits
• Apply Hotel tax payments in the PeopleSoft accounts receivable module (deposits, worksheets) and generate all relevant reports and letters.
• Knowledge to Bank reconciliation reports and a list of checks that are outstanding for more than 180 days, to the Controller's Office.
• Knowledge of Reconcile for multiple departments: health dept., parks, emergency services credit card, merchant card account, DCIS, Planning, and Water. Also, payroll and pension/retirement, tax claim credit card account, OMBH, and Cash concentration to the monthly bank statement.
• Assist other department areas as needed during heavy tax payment periods.
• Serve as back up for the reconciliation of the cash concentration account.
• Design, develop, and maintain suitable tax reports and schedule of exemptions, forward copies to hotels on a timely basis.
• Create and implement a suitable audit plan to address hotel room revenues audit for both large and small hotels.
• Update the audit program plan periodically, as required, to reflect improvements and necessary modifications.
• Monitor payment activity for penalties on late payments and invoice all late payers for the penalty amount.
• Monitor and audit ownership structure of hotels for full disclosure.
• Develop new forms.
• Be sensitive to potential legal issues that may adversely affect the Treasurer and advise both the Treasurer and the Treasurer’s solicitor (on hotel issues).
• Prepare a two-part payment voucher for distribution of monthly hotel tax receipts to the Convention and Visitor's Bureau (Tourist Bureau). thru Concur
• Assist DCIS in updating the developed a PeopleSoft hotel tax module (CCHTX) that replaces the earlier Excel spreadsheets required to record reporting and payment activity. The system must track all reporting, payment and audit activity as it relates to assessments, and provide formatted letters (Crystal reports) in order to communicate penalties, assessments and ending balances to hotel owners.
• Maintain integrity of information in the new PeopleSoft hotel tax budget information, and evaluate whether internal monthly budget reports are possible, as changes are put into place.
• Develop a consolidated Hotel revenue-tracking tool in Excel for the various sources of revenue. Present this information in a way that provides a source of historical trending information, which is useful when developing departmental budgets and goals and can be used to periodically measure achievement of current goals.
• Ability to navigate within the PeopleSoft general ledger module (Financial Journals) in order to enter hotel tax revenue journal entries and generate reports for bank statement reconciliations and the annual budget.
• Periodically serve as liaison between the Office of the Treasurer and DCIS, for the purpose of upgrading the functionally of data for Hotel Taxes and maintain those aspects of county’s computer network.
• Supervise all hotel audit activity when assisted by a department accountant and external auditors.
• Attend various Chester County Visitors Bureau functions, as instructed by the Treasurer.
• Establish a list of and continually investigate the opening of new businesses that rent rooms by searching on the Internet and Yellow Pages and other means. Advise new businesses of their legal obligation to register with the county and begin collecting/remitting tax money.
• Perform other duties, tasks and special projects, as required.

Qualifications/Preferred Skills, Knowledge & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in finance, accounting. Or related field.
• Three years of job-related experience.
• Advanced mathematics skills.
• Accurate and detail oriented with strong verbal and written communications skills.
• Ability to present financial data to non-financial people.
• Ability to read, analyze and interpret technical procedures and governmental regulations.
• Ability to write reports, business correspondence and procedure manuals.
• Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.
• Strong working knowledge of budgets, spreadsheets and interpreting audits.
• Working knowledge of Arbitrage compliance.
• Working knowledge of PA Act 72.
• Working knowledge of Government Finance Officers Association code of professional ethics.
• Ability to maintain confidential information and handle confidential matters.
• Economics background.
• Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers and the general public.
• Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Exhibits sound and accurate judgement.
• Ability to follow protocols and resolve recurring problems.
• Ability to use common sense understanding to provide verbal or written instructions.
• Flexible, with an ability to carry multiple projects and tasks to completion.
• Exhibits a strong work ethic and a willingness to learn new tasks.
• Ability to work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Professionalism, integrity, and honesty with an ability to handle confidential matters.

• Master’s degree in accounting, business or finance
• Four or more years of auditing and general accounting experience including.
• One to two years of experience with investments.
• One to two years of experience with cash management and financial analysis.
• One to two years of experience in the municipal government field.
• Working knowledge of the county’s investment policy.
• General knowledge and understanding of County of Chester policies and procedures.

Additional Information

Relevant background checks, clearances, physicals, drug tests, and any other assessments or evaluations will be conducted after an offer of employment is given per County policy.

Computer Skills:
To perform this job successfully, an individual should have:

• Advanced Office Suite Skills, (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and Explorer)
• Intermediate PeopleSoft skills (HR & Financial) or the ability to learn PeopleSoft
• Basic Outlook skills (Email and Calendar)
• Basic Microsoft Project skills

• The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.

• A valid driver’s license is required.
• Ability to work extended hours, as required.
• Must be able to drive to on-site audits.