MICHAEL J. LAFERRIERE
Summary
Detailed tax accountant with nearly 10 years of experience working as a Fuel Tax Manager for a fuel supplier company, Payroll Accountant for a $3.6 billion credit union, and Accounts Receivable Supervisor for an economic modeling tech company. Accomplishments include filing $100 million of annual taxes, processing payroll for 650 employees, a reputation for resolving complex problems, making overall operational improvements, and creating efficiencies.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
Work History
Fiel Tax Manager
Christensen, Inc.
08.2023 - Current
- Supervised the Account Maintenance Department during a large data merger
- Supervised tax accountants in the completion and filing of all state fuel tax returns
- Completed and filed the Federal 720 fuel tax return
- Completed and filed the IRS Fuel ExSTARS resport
- Researched and analyzed tax developments and applications to specific business situations.
- Assisted in managing audits of federal and state income tax and state and local filings
Tax Supervisor
Christensen, Inc.
08.2022 - 08.2023
- Supervised and trained tax accountants on all tax returns and reconciliation processes
- Guided tax accountants to create job aids and SOPs for all tax returns and tax processes
- Supervised and guided tax accountants in multiple aquisions and territory expansions
Tax Accountant III
Christensen, Inc.
03.2021 - 08.2022
- Completed and filed fuel and diesel tax returns in various states, such as Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and the Navajo Nation
- Completed and filed ExSTARS and Federal 720 Federal Excise tax returns with the IRS
- General ledger reconciliation of tax accounts
- Completed and filed Clean Fuels reports to ensure compliance with fuel emission and greenhouse gas regulations
- Maintained sales and fuel tax exemptions, reviewing and updating periodically for compliance
- Completed, maintained, and reviewed all customer account and ship-to setups to ensure correct tax jurisdiction and tax rate selection for each delivery
- Completed all sales tax, fuel license, and business license registrations for various acquisitions and territory expansions
Accountant and A/R Supervisor
Emsi
02.2020 - 03.2021
- Supervised Account Receivable staff
- Accurately completed various accrual entries for month-end
- Supported monthly reporting analysis to achieve validation of internal reports and to reconcile production operations and general ledger.
- Accurately maintained and reconciled all prepaid expenses
- Engaged in weekly P&L statement reviews
- Accurately maintained and reconciled all fixed asset transactions
- Processed all monthly and quarterly sales tax returns for 20 states and multiple provinces in Canada
- Filed VAT tax returns in the United Kingdom
Payroll Accountant
Gesa Credit Union
10.2015 - 02.2020
- Accurately performed and audited complete processing function for credit union, including online timesheet entries, bi-weekly processing, incentive compensation, commission pay, disbursements, and intermittent pay for 650 employees
- Verified that all payroll-related general ledger accounts were reconciled and balanced within assigned schedule
- Produced and maintained reports used to process and validate payroll, tax events, monthly financial statements, and budget-to-actual reporting
- Completed all bi-weekly, monthly, and quarterly payroll and benefit-related general ledger entries
- Developed, prepared, and submitted quarterly payroll forecasts and annual payroll and benefit budget for each credit union cost center
Accountant I
Gesa Credit Union
03.2014 - 10.2015
- Coded and processed all accounts payable, averaging 250 invoices/week
- Worked directly with executives and managers to prepare and analyze expense budgets
- Reviewed and completed analytics on general ledger accounts to ensure accuracy
- Prepared and analyzed NCUA Form 5300 quarterly call report
- Served as lead resource for all internal and external audit inquiries regarding accounts payable
- Analyzed and reconciled bank and general ledger accounts
- Performed month-end activities and quarter-end activities
- Reviewed and verified accuracy of journal entries
- Assisted with preparation of annual budget, forecasting, and analysis of monthly budget variances
Library Paraprofessional
Columbia Basin College
10.2011 - 03.2014
- Performed complex library tasks, such as ordering, receiving, processing materials, locating and revising catalog records, and inputting/updating library records
- Utilized OCLC for updating library holdings and exporting MARC bib records to the OPAC
- Provided daily directions to technical services student workers
- Filled in as Circulation Desk Supervisor when needed, supervising several student workers.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Business Administration, Accounting
Washington State University
Richland, WA2011
Skills
- Filed excise, fuel, diesel, and federal tax returns
- Fuel Tax Manager, Tax Supervisor, A/R Supervisor, Payroll Accountant, Accounts Payable Lead
- Accurately posted payroll for over 650 employees
- Employee Training and Oversight
- Highly experienced with budgeting, forecasting, account reconciliation, general ledger accounting, financial statement analysis
- Experienced with Excel, PowerPoint QuickBooks, Sage, and Great Plains
- CPA eligible (150 semester level credits earned)
- Strong analytical and strategic thinker
- Tax-Related Research
- Detailed Analysis
- Account and General Ledger Reconciliation
Timeline
Fiel Tax Manager
Christensen, Inc.
08.2023 - Current
Tax Supervisor
Christensen, Inc.
08.2022 - 08.2023
Tax Accountant III
Christensen, Inc.
03.2021 - 08.2022
Accountant and A/R Supervisor
Emsi
02.2020 - 03.2021
Payroll Accountant
Gesa Credit Union
10.2015 - 02.2020
Accountant I
Gesa Credit Union
03.2014 - 10.2015
Library Paraprofessional
Columbia Basin College
10.2011 - 03.2014
Bachelor of Arts - Business Administration, Accounting
Washington State University