Focus areas

• Taxation
• Estate Planning
• Estate Administration
• Corporate and Commercial Transactions

Biography

Robert S. Barnett, CPA, Esq., is a founding partner of the firm.  His practice is highly concentrated in the areas of taxation, trusts, estates, corporate and partnership law and charitable planning.  His experience includes Surrogate’s Court practice, tax dispute resolution in both Federal and State jurisdictions, and Tax Court representation.  Mr. Barnett frequently assists clients in structuring financial transactions and charitable gifts.

Mr. Barnett applies creative and practical solutions to estate and business planning.  He has served on many committees and is a frequent lecturer on numerous aspects of tax and business law.  He is a member of the Professional Advisors Committee of the Long Island Community Foundation and of the American Heart Association and is active on both the estate and tax planning committees of the New York State Society of CPAs.  Mr. Barnett has written articles on numerous aspects of estate and tax planning and is a frequent contributor to the New York State CPA Journal, The New York Law Journal, and other publications.  His articles and lectures encompass a wide variety of topics, including business succession, estate planning, generation-skipping, stock options, effective strategies for removing tax liens, proper utilization of the marital deduction and utilization of partnership elections. Mr. Barnett serves on the Nassau County Bar Association’s Academy of Law and is Co-Chair of the Tax Committee. He is the Vice President and an Executive Board Member of the Nassau Chapter of the New York State Society of CPAs.  He is President of the Educational Foundation of the Nassau/Suffolk Chapter of the National Conference of CPA Practitioners and Chairman of the Education Committee.

Mr. Barnett has extensive expertise representing clients with unreported foreign assets, including failure to file FBAR forms. He has advised clients in all facets of the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program, including penalty minimization strategies and options.

Mr. Barnett received his juris doctor in 1986 from Fordham University, where he graduated cum laude and was a member of the Fordham Law Review.  He graduated magna cum laude from Hofstra University, where he received his Bachelor’s degree in accounting . Mr. Barnett holds a Master’s degree in taxation as the recipient of the highest dean’s award.   Mr. Barnett is admitted to practice law in New York, Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Awards & Recognition

• 2013 Max Block Distinguished Article Award for Technical Analysis
• November 2016 – Samuel A. Dyckman, Excellence in Education Award
• November 2016 – Leadership in Law Award – Long Island Business News
• May 2017 – Distinguished Service Award – NYSSCPAS – Nassau Chapter
• Dean’s Award in Taxation – Long Island University CW Post
• Fordham Law Review
• Fordham University American Jurisprudence Award – Trusts and Estates

Presentations

2019 

• July 10, 2019: Succession and Estate planning: Accounting and Finance Show 2019
• June 13, 2019: American Institute of Certified Public Accountants: Engage 2019 Las Vegas: Panelist at Best Ideas Roundtable
• June 13, 2019: American Institute of Certified Public Accountants: Engage 2019 Las Vegas: Business Succession Planning
• May 30, 2019: Long Island University Tax & Accounting Institute: Trusts & Estates Day
• February 27, 2019: Workshop at The Educational Foundation of the Nassau Suffolk Chapter of NCCPAP
• February 13, 2019: Webinar: Calculating S Corp Stock and Debt Basis: Avoiding Loss Limitations and Excess Distributions
• February 13, 2019: The Educational Foundation of the Nassau Suffolk Chapter of NCCPAP: Discussion of 199A
• February 6, 2019: “Ending an Estate” at the Nassau County Bar Association
• January 23, 2019: Strafford CPE Webinar: Tax Reform and Partnerships: What CPAs Need to Know

2018

• November 14, 2018: Long Island Professionals Symposium: “Estate Planning Q&A Luncheon”;  “Estate Tax Changes”;  “Longevity Planning”; “TCJA and Select Business Considerations” and “199A Aggregation Rules”
• September 6, 2018: NCCPAP Program: “TCJA AND IRA Yesterday & Today” 
• July 12, 2018: The Accounting & Finance Show: “Will v. Revocable Trust – The Boxing Match of the Century”
• May 9, 2018: Partnership Tax Seminar: Tax Reform and Partnerships: What CPAs Need to Know Now About Massive Changes in 2018
• May 3, 2018: The Nassau County Bar Dean’s Hour – Drafting, Funding and Properly Maintaining Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts (ILIT) & Special Needs Trusts (SNT)
• May 3, 2018: Panel: “The Client-Buy Sell Agreement & Shareholder Agreement”, the National Conference of CPA Practitioners (NCCPAP)

2017

• September 28, 2017: Attorneys and You: Working Together for Your Clients
• October 18, 2017: Lecture: Planning for the Terminally Ill Client
• November 15, 2017: Buy-Sell Agreements – Common Mistakes
• November 17, 2017: S Corporation Update Including Basis & Loss Utilization
• November 17, 2017: Single Member LLC – The Basics and Beyond
• December 2, 2017: Form 1040/1041; Form 1120/1120S
• September 19, 2017: Federal Tax Update

Insights

• “Discrimination Settlements – Income Tax Considerations” Journal of Taxation, December 2020
• “How did preparing for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act affect this year’s tax season?”
• Personal Goodwill: Practical Considerations, Journal of Taxation, May 2018
• Gift Horse or Trojan Horse? Helping Beneficiaries Avoid Hidden Tax Liens
• New Revenue Procedure Provides Simple Method to Make Late Portability Election
• Section 1031 Like-Kind Exchanges and Entity Considerations
• Real Estate Professionals: Surviving the Audit
• Planning Considerations for Children of a First Marriage
• Handle With Care – Administering Endowment Funds in Tough Times
• Establishing Credibility Recent Cases Highlight the Plight of Real Estate Professionals
• Deferring COD Income – Burden May Outweigh Benefit
• Casualty Losses for Property Damaged by Hurricane Sandy
• Avoiding the Squeeze – Trusts, Estates, and the New ATRA Tax Regime

Contact Me

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