Coming Together: Society Continues to Respond to Call for Help, But More Is Needed

Arthur J. Roth, commissioner of the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, is a noble man. He is also a great friend of the New York State Society of CPAs. Over the years, Arthur has been an active member of the New York State, Municipal and Local Taxation Committee, and his department interacts with that committee on a regular basis. On Nov. 2 the committee and the Society hosted an event to honor the 40 members of Arthur’s department who were lost in the World Trade Center disaster. The pain and overwhelming sadness the tragedy caused Arthur, who was like a father to so many of his staff, was evident to all of us who heard him speak. During the event, Arthur honored his staff by referring to those who survived and those who did not as “shining lights.”

Arthur’s pain and concern for the victims and their families speak to his noble character. His nobility also radiates through his commitment to expedite benefits and other forms of help to families and to rebuild the tax department. The department lost everything—files, servers, laptops, wiretaps, wiretap evidence, even a fleet of vehicles. On top of replacing all these items, office space also had to be located. Though the tax department is moving forward and will persevere, now is the time for us to lend a hand and help Arthur and his staff.

The first thing we should do is reach out to these people we have worked with and express our sympathy. The next thing we can do is show patience in dealing with the department. After that, I think we need to be creative. We need to think of ways to take some of the burden off the department.

Documentation is a big issue; we should encourage our clients to provide copies of tax records, assessments and audit reports. If a case is in progress, we must encourage our clients to acknowledge that, and try to work with the department.

We have an opportunity to assist, and I am sure that we can come up with novel and workable solutions to re-establish links with the department that were broken in the attack. This is a time when we can change our role and our image. I implore those of you who are tax practitioners to think outside of the box, to develop ideas that will help both the department and our clients. If you have any suggestions that you would like to pass along, please send them to me at president@nysscpa.org or to Stewart Buxbaum, chair of the New York State, Municipal and Local Taxation Committee, at stewart@nysalestax.com.

The Ground Zero Volunteer Effort

Society members continue to volunteer their time and skills at the 110 Maiden Lane help center. It is not too late to volunteer. The demand for CPA assistance is increasing and this is an opportunity for you to put your expertise to great use. Over the past two weeks, more people have approached the volunteers for financial help, due to referrals by the federal Small Business Administration (SBA) and other organizations, media exposure and scheduled appointments arranged by members of the Beta Alpha Psi accounting fraternity of Pace University. Though they are not yet CPAs, these student volunteers are letting area businesses know that the NYSSCPA and other organizations staffing the Maiden Lane center are available to help. As these students continue to volunteer their time and effort, they learn firsthand the value we as CPAs bring to the public.

There have also been more walk-in inquiries, especially by those we are helping to fill out SBA applications. A “help fair” expo at the Regent Wall Street Hotel on Wall Street also provided assistance to small businesses in lower Manhattan. As we move into the busy holiday season we will need more assistance in staffing the desk. Please consider volunteering a few hours a week.

The (800) NYSSCPA (697-7272) hotline for WTC victim assistance has had a steady stream of calls coming from victims, small businesses and organizations representing victims. The hotline is featured in all of the Society’s literature on the volunteer effort, and is listed among a number of organizations that we are teaming with to provide assistance, including the New York City Economic Development Corp. and the New York City Partnership and Investment Fund.

A continuing professional education session on the subject of personal financial planning was held for volunteers on Oct. 30 at the Society offices. Seven CPA speakers covered topics ranging from money management and tax implications to insurance. The objective of the two-hour session was to ensure that CPA volunteers have at least a basic understanding of some of the issues that they will face when helping victims. Additional sessions will be scheduled as needed.

Finally, in cooperation with the New Jersey Society of CPAs, the NYSSCPA is also developing a comprehensive two-day personal financial planning/disaster recovery conference that will present CPAs with the information they will need to handle their clients’ disaster-related situations. The conference will be held in New York City and will be open to all members of the New Jersey and New York societies.

If you would like more information or are interested in volunteering. As volunteers, we all can be “shining lights.”

president@nysscpa.org