Balaka Saha
Houston,TX
Summary
Experienced leader with strong background in guiding teams, managing complex projects, and achieving strategic objectives. Excels in developing efficient processes, ensuring high standards, and aligning efforts with organizational goals. Known for collaborative approach and commitment to excellence.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
Work History
Tax Director
Stage Stores, Inc
Houston
04.2012 - Current
- Oversee the Tax Department and all its functions, review all Legal Contracts (with tax consequences), Tax planning, hiring Tax personnel, Tax Accrual forecasts, and all other Tax matters & job functions as needed. Manage and train Tax Staff, senior staff and Managers. Participate in quarterly Company meetings representing the Tax Department.
- Prepare and file 42+ state Income/Franchise Tax returns, filing Sales and Use tax returns for 45+ states. Handle Federal and State Sales and Use taxes & State Income Tax Audits for all relevant states including (but not limited to) LA, AL, TX, TN, NY etc. Successfully closed IRS Audit with $8 million in refunds. Similarly closed TX Franchise Tax Audits and Sales tax Audits with no Tax Adjustments.
- Consolidate and file Federal tax return, and prepare depreciation reports inclusive of tax, AMT, ACE and State depreciation adjustments.
- Gather data and perform support calculations for quarterly and annual US State (about 42+ states) and Federal tax provision ASC 740 (formerly FAS 109), FIN 48, UTP in the Source Tax Provision software (also done in Excel as well), prepare Return to provision calculations and analyze uncertain tax positions (FIN 48).
- Work with several internal groups :-> Accounting, Financial Reporting, Fixed Asset, Marketing, Store Development, HR, Legal to name a few.
- Reconcile or oversee reconciliations of all Sales and Use tax accounts monthly.
- Involved in implementation, testing of Use Tax Engine, and simultaneously oversee and maintain Sabrix Tax Determination Engine built on Oracle ERP.
- Review gathering, manipulating & importing data into OneSource Sales & Use Tax software, review Sales & use Tax returns, oversee sales & use tax rate maintenance for various taxing jurisdictions across 45 plus states in the US.
- Review Annual Reports filings, maintain Tax calendar. Review all Business Licenses renewals and filing new license applications and maintain business license database.
- Oversee and handle all Sales and Use Tax Audits, achieved significant Tax savings in several states and minimum adjustments in states of TX, LA, FL, NJ and many more states. Implemented process improvements to mitigate Audit risks.
- Oversee Personal Property Tax planning, compliance handled by 3rd party and accruals for the company.
- Continue to develop and automate internal processes to reduce risk and increase productivity.
- State Tax research and analysis using BNA, RIA, CCH, TTR and other Tax research engines.
- Prepare and track quarterly estimated tax payments, prepare and file 40 plus state income/franchise tax returns. Monthly and quarterly Tax account roll forward.
- Led cross-functional teams to optimize tax planning processes and minimize liabilities.
- Directed tax compliance strategy, ensuring adherence to federal and state regulations.
- Streamlined tax preparation workflows, improving efficiency and reducing turnaround time.
- Mentored junior staff on complex tax issues, fostering professional development and expertise.
- Collaborated with external auditors to facilitate successful examinations of tax positions and filings.
- Conducted regular reviews of internal policies and procedures to identify areas for improvement in the realm of taxation practices.
Tax Consultant
MBO Partners (PWC Contract)
Texas
02.2025 - 12.2025
- Prepare and Review State Income workpapers for Corporations.
- Review State Income/Franchise Tax Returns for Corporations and Partnerships.
- Coordinate with US and off shore Team on projects, timelines and deliverables.
- Prepare and review xml files for e-filing the state Income Tax returns.
- Work with US and AC Team on Estimated Tax calculations and review.
- Research on taxability, apportionment and other SALT matters for clients.
- Any other project for SALT Group as needed.
- Conducted thorough research to stay current on ever-changing tax laws, ensuring compliance for clients.
- Conducted reviews of internal tax documentation, reducing errors related to missed tax benefits.
- Reviewed available data and compared against tax code to determine exemptions, deductions, and potential liabilities.
Tax Consultant
Forvis Mazars, LLC
03.2023 - 08.2025
- Oversee the whole Indirect Tax function for the client including month end data analysis, accrual tracking, Sales Tax monthly/quarterly compliance, Journal entries and corresponding with jurisdictions.
- Interact with Customers, Vendors and other departments regarding the Indirect Tax matters.
- Tax Research for Indirect taxes.
- Gather Data and work as liaison with the Tax Compliance Teams.
- Help with Indirect Tax Audits.
- (Indirect Tax Consultant at Sealed Air)
Tax Consultant
Stewart Title (via Unity Search)
Houston, TX
06.2023 - 01.2024
- Prepare and/or review workpapers Consolidated/Complex State Income/Franchise Tax returns for several prior years.
- Prepare and/or review workpapers Consolidated/Complex State Income/Franchise Tax returns for backlogged Tax years.
- Review and rectify OneSource Consolidated/Complex State Income/Franchise Tax returns for tax not filed or incorrectly filed prior year Tax returns for various states to get the company caught up with filing in various jurisdictions.
Tax Manager
EWC
11.2022 - 03.2023
- Oversee all Tax functions for Tax compliance and provision.
- Liaison with outside firm for data transfer for Tax compliance.
- Review Sales & Use Tax as well as PPT returns prepared by outside firms.
- Work on Audits and Tax notices.
Tax Senior
Key Energy Services
Houston, TX
04.2010 - 01.2012
- Review and prepare federal, state and international tax returns and provision work for the Key.
- Prepare Sub-consolidated and Consolidated Federal Tax (1120) returns with all the domestic and international subsidiaries (5471s, 8865s & 1118s). Review proforma Federal Tax returns, and prepare depreciation reports inclusive of tax, AMT, ACE and State depreciation adjustments.
- Work with Fixed Asset group on rolling forward book and tax asset data.
- Prepare and review 5471s, 8865s, 8858s as well as 1118. Updating the international tax laws and international treaties as well as Boycott countries. Also work on FBAR (Form TD F 90-22.1).
- Review smaller state returns and prepare complex state returns like TX, LA, CA, PA, NY etc.
- Filing in more than 30 states and updating the state laws, tax rates etc. Reviewing estimated income tax and franchise tax calculations.
- Assisting with quarterly and year-end provisions for the company, rolling forward all tax accounts.
- Achievements: Revamped the Trial balance account chart in OneSource Tax Compliance, also saved the company significant dollars by responding to Tax Notices timely and mitigating the penalties/interests as well as taxes payable. Helped with implementing Tax accounts in Oracle EBS.
Tax Senior
Calvetti, Ferguson and Wagner, P.C.
Houston, TX
05.2009 - 04.2010
- Compliance work for various clients with primary focus on large Corporations (C corps - 1120). Working on large consolidated returns with US subsidiaries, foreign subsidiaries, and foreign branches.
- Partnership returns-1065 and K-1 packages.
- Also heavily involved with international tax returns (5471s), 5472s, 1118s, transfer pricing, and lots of intercompany transactions. FBAR (Form TD F 90-22.1).
- Depletion, depreciation & amortization.
- Working on tax provision (FAS 109) for consolidated corporation(s) including provisions for the foreign subsidiaries and foreign branches.
- State allocation and apportionment schedules, estimated payments and state tax returns and franchise tax returns for almost 25-30 states for each corporation.
- Software: Go Systems, Tax Stream, BNA fixed Assets, CS Fixed Assets, and CS Accounting.
- Tax research on BNA and RIA about complex tax matters.
Experienced Tax Consultant
Deloitte & Touché
Houston and Dallas, TX
08.2006 - 05.2009
- Tax provision work (SFAS 109), footnotes, memos for quarterly and year end provision.
- Tax Compliance Federal, States and International for Corporations and Partnerships.
- FIN 48 to some extent.
- Comfortable working knowledge of foreign corporations (5471s and 5472s), foreign partnerships (8865s) and foreign disregarded entities (8858s).
- State taxes (including franchise, local city and business taxes), tax estimates and extensions, state allocation and apportionment schedules.
- Well versed with foreign currency transactions.
- Tax Research on BNA, CCH and Lexis Nexis.
- Quarterly and annual taxable Income estimates for certain clients needing estimate of income.
Accountant
Susan Phillips PC
Houston, TX
12.2004 - 05.2006
- Working extensively on reconciliations, general ledgers, journal entries, journal vouchers, trial balance, financial statements and comparisons.
- Generating daily sales reports, deposit schedules, A/P & aging payables, coding and entering invoices, A/R & aging receivables, applying payments to receivables.
- Federal income taxes (individual and corporate), nonresident individual taxes, payroll taxes.
Education
MBA - Accounting
University of Houston
Houston, TX12.2005
Skills
- Corporate taxation proficiency- Federal & State Income & Franchise Tax, ASC 740, FIN 48
- Tax software proficiency- OneSource Income Tax Software, OneSource Tax Provision, Sabrix
- Indirect tax management>Property tax administration & Sales and use tax expertise, Tax credits and incentives
- Tax law interpretation, Tax compliance expertise, Tax research, Tax policy analysis
- Tax controversy resolution, Tax risk assessment
- Audit defense techniques
- Accounting principles mastery
- Tax process automation
Timeline
Tax Consultant
MBO Partners (PWC Contract)
02.2025 - 12.2025
Tax Consultant
Stewart Title (via Unity Search)
06.2023 - 01.2024
Tax Consultant
Forvis Mazars, LLC
03.2023 - 08.2025
Tax Manager
EWC
11.2022 - 03.2023
Tax Director
Stage Stores, Inc
04.2012 - Current
Tax Senior
Key Energy Services
04.2010 - 01.2012
Tax Senior
Calvetti, Ferguson and Wagner, P.C.
05.2009 - 04.2010
Experienced Tax Consultant
Deloitte & Touché
08.2006 - 05.2009
Accountant
Susan Phillips PC
12.2004 - 05.2006
MBA - Accounting
University of Houston