SouthJersey.CPA

09/09/2026

South Jersey is likely entering a capacity squeeze in estate, probate, and elder-planning services, especially for middle class families, The region’s older population is expanding, increasing demand for estate administration, guardianships, tax coordination, and long-term-care planning. At the same time, the state’s licensed CPA population has fallen substantially, and the state’s active attorney count has also declined. Public data do not yet show a county-by-county count of estate specialists, but the statewide trends point to fewer professionals available for a growing and more complex body of work.
I assembled a six phase guide with a 20 step checklist to help, whether you are tackling it alone or following the lead of an estate professional.

The six-phase sequence and checklist order below is logical, but estates rarely move in a clean linear flow. Tax filings, creditor resolution, asset collection, and the inheritance tax process typically run in parallel. If tasks appear to occur out of sequence, consider the consequences carefully, p...

09/05/2026

You don't have to deal with business stress alone

Diesel fuel hit a record national average of $5.85 a gallon this week, up more than $2 since January. Farm bankruptcy filings nationally reached a six-year monthly high in April. South Jersey owners feel this before the headlines do, and most have no one to call who knows both the numbers and the law.
Here is the pattern I see repeat. An owner who cannot cover payroll pays the net wages, holds back the withheld taxes, and plans to catch up next month. Those withheld dollars were never company money. The IRS can assess them personally against the owner under the trust fund recovery penalty, they survive bankruptcy, and a long enough pattern stops being treated as a cash-flow problem and starts being treated as intent.
Every one of those stages has an exit, and the exit is widest at the beginning. Installment agreements, penalty relief, and a documented change of course are all still available to an owner who moves early. They narrow considerably for an owner who waits.
This past week I heard stories from two local business owners who wasted money on expensive legal solutions that will not solve their problems. They did not want to talk with anyone about their business problems, and this led to poor, emotionally-driven actions that hurt rather than helped.
If your business is under this kind of pressure, text me the words BUSINESS STRESS to 856-314-5625. Please send no details by text. I will call you, at no cost and with no obligation, and if what you describe belongs with an attorney first, a business change, debt restructuring, or tax resolution. If I think you should consider something else, I will tell you that too.

Diesel hit a record national average of $5.85 a gallon this week, up more than $2 since January. Farm bankruptcy filings nationally reached a six-year monthly high in April. South Jersey owners feel this before the headlines do, and most have no one to call who knows both the numbers and the law.Her...

09/04/2026

Farm bankruptcies rose sharply over the past year. With thin operating margins, higher interest costs, and continuing pressure on fertilizer and other materials, the financial outlook for agriculture is even worse in 2027. My own observation is that financial stress causes farm operators to make poor business decisions that compounds the problem.

07/29/2026

I can't say whether it would work for dating.

07/24/2026

Tax planning season is now, not April.

Through late summer I'm offering a limited number of free tax planning strategy sessions. We take your real numbers and run a before-and-after analysis so you can see, in dollars, what each option actually saves you.

30 years of experience focused on one thing: reducing tax burden.

Text or leave a voice message at 856-314-5625 with the word "PLAN" and I'll reach out personally to schedule. No pitch, just numbers.

07/20/2026

The 10 most common reasons people are planning to move to a new state:
1. For better weather: 22%
2. Concern for natural disasters or climate risks: 21%
3. Concern for safety/crime: 20%
4. Move for a new job or job relocation: 19%
5. To be with or nearer to family: 18%
6. For lower overall cost of living: 18%
7. Upgrade to better home or neighborhood: 18%
8. Want more space: 16%
9. Concerns about job security: 15%
10. For lower rental/home prices: 15%

06/29/2026

Yesterday, on Sunday, the New Jersey Legislature unveiled a small $358.8 million supplemental spending bill with aid for hospitals, towns and World Cup. It is expected to pass into law by tomorrow. Two things jump out: 1) the secretive, murky, rushed budget process for spending items sometimes labeled as ‘pork projects’, and 2) the small size of this spending bill relative to other federal and private spending in the state lately. This is less than 1% of our state’s budget and a small fraction of our state’s projected surplus cash flow. While some of the spending is likely to benefit South Jersey, including Cooper health care system, a full list of identifiable projects by county or municipality has not been published yet.
This post is not meant to be critical of the bill or the projects, but rather to highlight the crazy ways that our government works to get things done.

05/24/2026

https://southjersey.cpa/new-jersey-ranks-as-top-spot-to-achieve-the-american-dream/

New Jersey is ranked #1 for upward mobility. In a recent publication scoring all fifty states on factors including percentage of college degrees, number of foreign-born residents, average debt, ave…

05/24/2026

New Jersey scores top ranking in quest for the American Dream

In a recent publication scoring all fifty states on factors including percentage of college degrees, number of foreign-born residents, average debt, average salary, life expectancy, and percentage of home ownership to determine which state offered the best opportunity for career advancement and success. These rankings scored New Jersey at the highest position in the country. This high score can be attributed to the state’s high achievements in education with over 43 percent of residents holding a college degree. New Jerseyans have a life expectancy of 79, have high rates of car ownership (917 cars for every 1,000 people), and a higher than national average salary of $76,321. The state also holds a high percentage of diversity among its residents, with 25 percent of people born in New Jersey coming from other nations.

05/23/2026

Millville made the list. Separately, yesterday I agreed to join a business client’s project exploring expansion to the Millville area.
https://www.worldatlas.com/cities/11-offbeat-new-jersey-towns-to-visit-in-2026.html?shem=rimspwouoe,

Explore 11 offbeat New Jersey towns with Victorian streets, canal paths, glassmaking history, beachside landmarks, and small-town charm.