Special Tax Update (E1902069)

Howard J. Bookbinder, CPA, practices in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, and is a former instructor of accounting and taxation at Rutgers University. Additionally, he frequently lectures on federal tax updates, payroll tax issues, ethics and Circular 230. Mr. Bookbinder has addressed many professional, civic and community groups in New Jersey, Ohio, New York, Alabama and Georgia, including the American Society of Women Accountants, Mended Hearts, Bergen County Bar Association, Rotary Clubs, Lions Clubs, AARP, The Telephone Pioneers and NCCPAP. He has also lectured to firms on an in-house basis in the area of professional ethics and taxation. Mr. Bookbinder is a frequent lecturer at many tax seminars sponsored by the New Jersey Society of CPAs, the AICPA, Kean University, Rowan University and the Internal Revenue Service. He served as chairman of the Cooperation with the Internal Revenue Service for four years and is a current member of the New Jersey State Tax Committee. He has been involved with the Internal Revenue Service symposiums for IRS employees and tax practitioners for the past several years. He is a past president of the Bergen Chapter of the New Jersey Society of CPAs and a past trustee of the New Jersey Society of CPAs. He is a contributing author for the Bergen Record’s Tax Mailbag column, and has appeared on the cable TV program of the same name. Mr. Bookbinder is the author of Write-up Services for Small Businesses, a book published by the AICPA. Mr. Bookbinder is a graduate of Pace University and has attended the American Institute of Banking.

Richard J. Sapinski, J.D., LL.M., is a member at Sills Cummis & Gross, P.C. and is Vice-Chair of the Firm’s Tax Litigation Practice Group. His practice involves white collar criminal defense on both federal and state levels and civil and criminal tax litigation, as well as international tax planning and compliance issues. Prior to joining the Firm, Mr. Sapinski was employed by the Office of the District Counsel, Internal Revenue Service, Newark, New Jersey as a trial attorney from 1977 to 1984 and later with the Office of the Regional Counsel Internal Revenue Service, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as a Special Trial Attorney from 1985 to 1987. In the latter position, Mr. Sapinski was assigned responsibility for litigating in the United States Tax Court on behalf of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue in large and sensitive cases and for assisting IRS international examiners in developing international tax issues for litigation. He litigates matters in the United States District Court, U.S. Tax Court and the Superior Court and Tax Court of New Jersey and the Federal and State Appellate Courts. He also represents professionals before disciplinary and licensing boards and handles administrative matters involving the Examination, Collection and Criminal Investigation divisions of the Internal Revenue Service and their state counterparts.

He earned his undergraduate degree from Seton Hall University, his J.D. from Fordham University School of Law and his LL.M. in Taxation from NYU.

Robert A. Stern is an attorney in Sills Cummis & Gross's Business Crimes and Tax Litigation Practice Groups. His practice includes representing clients in connection with federal and state tax controversies, tax litigation and criminal tax issues. Mr. Stern is a former senior trial attorney and general litigation specialist with the Office of District Counsel, Internal Revenue Service, Newark, New Jersey. Prior to joining the Firm, Mr. Stern was a partner in a boutique tax firm specializing in IRS and state tax controversies, tax law, probate litigation and ERISA. Mr. Stern is a frequent lecturer for various professional organizations including the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants, the National Business Institute, the National Association of Tax Professionals, Morgan Stanley and other professional business organizations.

Mr. Zucker is Of Counsel at Sills Cummis & Gross P.C. and has thirty years of experience in the areas of tax, estate planning and business planning.

He has extensive experience in counseling owners of closely-held businesses in all aspects of their business and personal planning. He has advised numerous clients with regard to initial business organization and passing businesses from one generation to the next. He also has considerable experience implementing various types of sophisticated trusts used in estate planning and asset protection and advising clients on planning involving charitable trusts and foundations.

Mr. Zucker has written and lectured widely on numerous tax topics. His articles have appeared in Taxation for Lawyers, Taxation for Accountants, and the New Jersey Law Journal. He co-authored Estate Planning and Administration in New Jersey, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ textbook on Taxation of Investors in Securities and Commodities, and The Matthew Bender & Company treatise Mergers and Consolidations (New Jersey Practice Guide).