Alan Weiner Begins Term as Society President

By Lillie Balinova

Alan E. Weiner, NYSSCPA president for 1999-2000, plans to bring more CPAs into the Society, listen to member comments and suggestions, work with the chapters, advocate legislation to reduce or eliminate workload compression, help members prepare for the changes that affect the profession, and have fun. In an interview with The Trusted Professional, Weiner acknowledged that this sounds like a mouthful, but indicated that all tax professionals are multitask-oriented.

"These are exciting times because the entire business world is opening up to the accountant," Weiner said. "We as CPAs are way ahead of many other professions in terms of technology and the scope of our businesses. We can take the trust we've earned from our clients and do far more for them than we have in the past."

Senior tax partner of Holtz Rubenstein & Co. LLP, CPAs, of Melville, Long Island, Weiner has a long record of activism within the accounting profession but is proudest of founding the Long Island Accountants Blood Drive in 1982.

A member of the Society since 1967, Weiner has served as treasurer and a member of the board of directors and the Executive Committee. He also served on the Nassau Chapter executive board.

During his tenure as chair of the Partnership Tax Committee, the Society adopted a formal procedure for testifying on tax regulations pending in Washington, D.C. In 1993 Weiner chaired the Clinton Tax Proposals Task Force, assisting with testimony presented to the House Ways and Means Committee.

Serving as executive vice president for the Americas of DFK International, a worldwide association of accounting firms, Weiner originated and now annually authors its International Tax Overview. He is also an AICPA Council member and editorial adviser for The Tax Adviser magazine.

Weiner is the author of All About Limited Liability Companies and Limited Liability Partnerships. He writes articles for business
publications, lectures on a variety of tax subjects around the world, and regularly appears in the media.

He has been listed in Who's Who in American Law and Who's Who in the East, and he was cited as one of the nation's best tax practitioners by Money Magazine. He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from City College of New York, a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School, and an LL.M. in Taxation from New York University.