Accounting Intern

Job Description

About Company

Wipfli is a professional services firm where people are core to everything they do, serving as the catalyst for creating exceptional impact and extraordinary results. The company emphasizes a culture where people truly matter, fostering an environment where associates feel valued.

Key aspects of Wipfli’s culture and values include:
• Flexibility: They believe in offering flexibility.
• Relationships: A strong focus on building and nurturing relationships.
• Individual Path: Encouraging each individual to follow their own professional journey.
• Professional Home: Wipfli aims to be a “professional home” for those seeking to make a difference, offering career-defining opportunities.

Wipfli is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, committed to diversity and inclusion. All candidates are considered for employment without regard to a wide range of characteristics protected by law, including race, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, or disability.

The firm is also dedicated to providing reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities throughout the application and recruiting process.

Wipfli values its associates’ well-being, offering various benefits such as paid sick leave and access to free, confidential counseling through their Employee Assistance Program (EAP). While flexibility is offered for many positions to be performed remotely, the specific role described below has a defined in-person requirement.

Job Description

This is an Internship role at Wipfli, designed to provide hands-on experience in accounting, specifically within tax and/or audit functions.

Work Arrangement:
This role requires an in-person work arrangement. For full-time interns, this means regularly working 5 days a week; for part-time interns, it means working during your scheduled hours. Work can be conducted either in a Wipfli office or at client sites. Client sites may vary locally, regionally, or nationally, depending on the industry alignment. Scheduled meetings at client sites and in the office require in-person attendance.

General Intern Responsibilities:
Interns will utilize their educational knowledge and experience to perform various accounting-related tasks, including:
• Responding to client and firm associate requests in a timely, accurate, positive, and professional manner.
• Responding to client inquiries and collaborating with clients to gather necessary information for document completion.
• Using data analysis skills to discover useful information and patterns to support recommendations.
• Proactively identifying improvement opportunities in processes to enhance efficiency.
• Interns may gain experience in only tax or both tax AND audit.

Tax Specific Responsibilities:
• Preparing individual, business, and fiduciary tax returns and projections in accordance with firm and professional standards, as directed by engagement leaders.
• Understanding and effectively using current tax and accounting software applications.
• Researching tax-related issues and other related financial reports.
• Performing a limited number of tax return interviews as needed.

Audit Specific Responsibilities:
• Performing audit, review, and compliance testing procedures in accordance with firm and professional standards, as directed by engagement leaders.
• Communicating with engagement leaders regarding open items, testing problems, or other important matters in a timely manner.
• Preparing (or reviewing client-prepared) financial statements and footnotes, management reports, and other engagement outputs.
• Developing technical competency with GAAP, especially related to the assigned product line.

What You Will Gain:
• First-hand experience of “The Wipfli Way” by working side-by-side with professionals at all levels.
• Development of skills to become a trusted business advisor for clients and associates.
• Hands-on experience in tax and/or audit work, and related software applications.
• Opportunity to work as an individual contributor and as part of a team on client engagements.
• Exposure to a variety of clients and industries, from small businesses to large corporations.
• Development of administrative, professional, and interpersonal skills, including organizing, analyzing, and communicating productively and efficiently.

Qualifications:
• Education: Must be pursuing a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Accounting, with completion of a corporate or individual taxation class required.
• GPA: A minimum 3.2 GPA is required, demonstrating above-average competency in accounting.
• CPA Eligibility: Working towards eligibility to sit for the CPA exam upon graduation (150 credits).
• Preferred Coursework: Experience in Data Analytics or Big Data is preferred.
• Skills: Ability to think independently, make good decisions based on education and experience, good communication and interpersonal skills to effectively interact with clients and staff, ability to prioritize work, follow through on requests, take initiative, and meet deadlines.
• Legal Authorization: Must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis upon hire. Wipfli will not consider candidates who require sponsorship for employment visa status now or in the future (e.g., H-1B status).

Recruitment Contact:
Geri Otto from the Wipfli recruiting team will guide candidates through the process. Her LinkedIn page is available for connection.

Additional Information:
For those not fully prepared to apply or unsure where to start, Wipfli encourages joining their Talent Community to stay connected.