NEW YORK, NY, August 18, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ -- After a half century in the legal and accounting professions, most would be happy to retire. Not Sidney Kess. Still excited about working, he is Senior Consultant with Citrin Cooperman & Company, LLP, a nationally recognized full-service accounting firm. He's also Of Counsel to Kostelanetz & Fink, LLP, a leading law firm that handles high-stakes tax controversies, white-collar criminal defense, and negotiations with government agencies.
Before his long career in taxes, Mr. Kess served in the US Army as a sergeant in the signal corps, fighting in France and Germany during World War II. The GI Bill enabled him to embark upon his professional path soon after returning from his service overseas.
Mr. Kess earned a BBA degree at CUNY's Bernard M. Baruch College. He then earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Harvard Law School and a Master of Laws from NYU's Graduate School of Law. Kess was then certified as a public accountant in New York and admitted to practice law in New York State.
Mr. Kess worked as a tax practitioner for some of the biggest accounting firms in the United States. He began his career at Lybrand, Ross Brothers & Montgomery, before becoming National Tax Director at Main Lafrentz. The firm merged with Hurdman Cranstoun, and then with Peat Marwick, where Kess served as National Tax Partner.
Beyond his primary professional responsibilities, Kess helped organize the Association of CPA Candidates and developed guides to help CPAs pass their exams. Then he took over the Comprehensive CPA School upon the death of its founder; this program became one of the most successful CPA coaching courses at the time.
Kess became energized by the concept of promoting continuing education in taxes. In 1964, he was asked by the New York State Society of CPA's to write, teach and market the "Workshop on Individual Tax Return Preparation." The program was so successful that the AICPA asked Mr. Kess to offer similar programs nationally on individual and corporate taxation. Kess became known for making difficult material understandable, even interesting.
He traversed the U.S., traveling with huge suitcases that contained textbooks and IRS materials so that he could field questions on the spot at a time when no laptops or smart phones existed to provide instantaneous answers. Kess "wowed" his audiences and kept them entertained during his two-day courses, speaking eight hours a day. Often, lecture participants stood on line after the day was done to pepper Mr. Kess with questions or ask for advice. Kess also helped some students find jobs and helped others find employees.
Mr. Kess developed a number of continuing education approaches, including workshops, videos, and audio "Kessettes" to explain new tax developments. He was becoming known as an "idea-man." Kess came up with the idea for a monthly estate planning newsletter (CCH). Some feared there wasn't enough material to fill a newsletter, but 50 years later, the monthly publication is still going strong. Also, for the past half century, Kess analyzed laws enacted by Congress and published articles explaining the major tax acts that passed each year. Additionally still running after 50+ years, is the Estate Planning Conference that Mr. Kess created for the UJA-Federation of New York in 1969.
Kess has been incredibly successful as a writer, having authored or co-authored hundreds of books on taxation. His book on the 1969 Tax Reform Act sold 50,000 copies. Among his most lauded publications are multiple editions of "A Practical Guide to Tax Planning," and "1040 Preparation and Planning Guide," and his individual and corporate tax refresher courses.
Kess was also consulting editor for The Kess Tax Practice Report and many publications with CCH, including the Tax Planning Review, Estate Planning Review, and Executive's Tax Review. His CCH Estate Planning Guide was adopted by 75 universities for classroom use. Additionally, he co-authored the 4-volume AICPA book, The Adviser's Guide to Financial and Estate Planning.
Kess is often quoted in significant periodicals such as The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He also had a syndicated column with financial reporter Robert Metz, which appeared in 117 newspapers nationally. Additionally, Mr. Kess contributed a monthly column for the New York Law Journal entitled "Tax Tips," which has been published continually for over 50 years.
In light of his achievements, Mr. Kess accrued many honors throughout his career. He was recognized with the AICPA's Gold Medal Award for Distinguished Service, the highest possible award in the accounting profession. Moreover, he was also eponymously honored with the "Sidney Kess Award for Excellence in Continuing Education," the "Distinguished Lecturer Award," and the "Personal Financial Planning Distinguished Service Award."
Mr. Kess was inducted into the Estate Planning Hall of Fame, was listed among the "100 Most Influential CPAs in the United States" and included among "125 People of Impact in Accounting." He also received awards from the New York State Society of CPA's, including the "CPA's Hall of Fame Award," the "Dr. Emanuel Saxe Outstanding CPA in Education Award," and the "Distinguished Service Award." Kess was further commended with the "Hartman Axley Lifetime Service Award" from the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils, and with Baruch College's "Award for Outstanding Contribution in the Field of Taxation" and "Outstanding Alumni Award for Achievement in Accounting."
All the awards received reflect the fact Mr. Kess continually developed ways to improve the field of taxation. He enjoyed coming up with ideas and is thrilled to see his conferences, newsletters and columns still being implemented. He was a pioneer in the world of continuing education, aware that continual, complicated law changes require that accountants and lawyers remain current. Most importantly, Kess has always been grateful that, through the GI Bill, the government enabled him to attend the best schools with the best professors; he has tried to "pay it forward," teaching and assisting others. It's his spirit of helpfulness and professional camaraderie that made a major impression on those who know him.
"I've had over a million students," says Mr. Kess, "and many have become lifelong friends. I'm still coming up with new ideas and love what I do, even after all these years. I try to encourage young practitioners by telling them that, when new and complicated provisions are enacted, they know as much as professionals working for decades. Every practitioner can become an expert. Most important is staying one step ahead, being innovative, and trying to help others succeed."
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