We're saddened by the passing of our Executive Advisor and friend Sidney Kess. Sid was an inspiration to us all, an unrivaled leader in the profession, and the torch bearer for excellence in CPA education. 

Join Scott Zarret, CPA, as he explores the remarkable life and lasting impact of Sid Kess, a trailblazer in the world of accounting and Continuing Professional Education (CPE). Sid Kess was not just an educator; he was a visionary who transformed the accounting profession through his passion for knowledge, mentorship, and genuine human connection.

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In 2019, Sidney Kess, CPA, J.D., LL.M., was named as an Advisor to CPAacademy.org. Mr. Kess was recently selected “Most Influential Practitioner” by CPA Magazine, and is a nationally renowned tax expert and author/coauthor of hundreds of tax books on financial and estate planning.  Having lectured to more than 1,000,000 practitioners on tax, financial, and estate planning, Mr. Kess is one of the nation’s most prominent lecturers on continuing professional education.  Mr. Kess is also Consulting Editor of CCH Incorporated’s Financial and Estate Planning Reporter. In addition, Mr. Kess was Chairman of the Advisory Board of Tax Hotline and is a member of the PPC Tax Action Panel.  He has edited a column on “Tax Tips” for the New York Law Journal for the past fifty years.

Mr. Kess was editor of the AICPA’s CPA Client Bulletin and CPA Client Tax Letter.   He has written hundreds of AICPA tax workshops, audio, and video programs, and is the recipient of the AICPA Distinguished Lecturer Award.  Mr. Kess is often quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and other national publications.  He was included in Accounting Today’s, “100 Most Influential CPAs in the U.S.” for several years, as well as CPA Magazine’s, “Most Influential CPAs in the U.S.”  Mr. Kess was the National Director of Tax at KPMG Main Hurdman and a tax partner at KPMG Peat Marwick.  Mr. Kess is the recipient of the AICPA’s “Special Recognition Award” for his many years of contributions to the AICPA’s continuing professional education program and was elected to the Estate Planning Hall of Fame by the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils for his distinguished service to the field of estate planning. He is also the recipient of the AICPA’s Gold Medal Award, which is the highest award in the accounting profession.  Most recently, he received the AICPA Personal Financial Planning Distinguished Service Award.

The AICPA established the Sidney Kess Award for Excellence in Continuing Education, to recognize individual CPAs who have made significant and outstanding contributions in tax and financial planning and whose public service exemplifies the CPA profession’s finest values and ethics.  Sidney Kess was the first recipient of this Award.  Mr. Kess was inducted into the New York State Society of CPA’s Hall of Fame.  He received his B.B.A. from Baruch College, his J.D. from Harvard University School of Law, and his LL.M. from New York University Graduate School of Law.

Click here to read THE SID KESS APPROACH: 60 Years of Best Practices in Tax, Education, Careers and Life: Published by the AICPA

Elizabeth Forspan is the Managing Attorney of the law firm Forspan Klear LLP. Elizabeth’s areas of practice include Elder Care Planning, Estate Planning, and Taxation. She regularly helps clients achieve their Medicaid Planning goals in a tax-efficient manner through practical and considerate planning techniques.

Elizabeth often lectures on various aspects of Elder Care Planning, Tax Law, and Estate Planning. Elizabeth recently lectured on the Income Taxation of Trusts and Estates for the National Business Institute and Key Elder Care Planning Issues for the New York State Society of CPA’s Annual Estate Planning Conference in New York City. Elizabeth has also written and lectured extensively on the topic of Casualty Loss Deductions. Elizabeth co-authored the award-winning cover article for the February 2013 edition of the CPA Journal entitled “Casualty Losses for Property Damaged by Hurricane Sandy.” In June of 2014, Elizabeth was the recipient of the prestigious Max Block Award for Outstanding Article in the Category of Technical Analysis, awarded by the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants’ CPA Journal for her article on casualty losses.