Gutman worked in the US treasury department's office of tax policy from 1977 to 1980, first as an attorney-adviser and then as deputy tax legislative counsel. During his time at the treasury Gutman was awarded the treasury's prestigious exceptional service award.
Before rejoining the treasury in 1991 as chief of staff of the congressional joint committee on taxation, he lectured at the University of Pennsylvania on corporate taxation. In 1999 Gutman joined KPMG's Washington national tax practice where he was the principal in charge of the firm's tax legislative and regulatory services group and as director of the KPMG tax governance institute for more than 15 years, he left in 2015.