With a combined 50+ years providing legal, tax, and accounting services to multiple generations of clients, representing diverse business interests and covering a wide array of industries, Straus Jacobson has the knowledge and experience to provide complex top shelf legal and tax services to high net worth individuals and their businesses.
Whether it’s advising on the formation of a new business and helping you choose between an LLC or an S-Corp, or assisting with an asset purchase, sale, partner buyout, or corporate dissolution, as Attorneys and CPAs we’re able to provide a broad scoped legal and tax outlook, pointing out the immediate and future ramifications of your choices. With our extensive expertise in both professions, we take a life cycle approach to your business to keep you informed and compliant into the future.
We also leverage that same, dual vision, combined legal and tax approach to your personal financial life cycle. Whether it’s advising young entrepreneurs on the best personal tax strategies to protect their growing families, portfolios, and businesses or advising soon to be retirees on the succession or sale of their business and gifting or estate planning, we’re by your side to advise and assist all along the way with clear, concise, expert information.
Most law firms are not on the front lines of tax compliance, resolution, and strategy. Most accounting firms are not representing clients on real estate closings, commercial refinances, and asset transfers.
Straus Jacobson is a one source solution to a diverse array of complex needs.
We are not most firms.
Mr. Straus is highly experienced in all aspects of business planning and tax-related matters, including representation of clients in all manner of tax controversies before any state, local or federal taxing authority. He has been published and quoted in various journals and has presented for the Foundation for Accounting Education and other professional organizations.
Mr. Straus can be heard on the radio as he is called upon by Fox Business News to provide material for their annual “Tax Tips” series.
Mr. Straus has a B.S. degree (awarded Cum Laude) in public accounting from New York University, a J.D. from SUNY Buffalo and an LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law. He has previously served as an adjunct assistant professor of taxation at NYU.
Mr. Straus spent the early part of his career at Touche Ross & Co. (now known as Deloitte) where he was a Senior Tax Manager. He then went on to direct the Tax Department at a prominent New York City accounting firm. In 1995, Mr. Straus formed his own firm to represent clients in real estate matters and business and tax matters.
Mr. Straus is a member of the American Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. He previously served as Chair of the NYS Society of CPA’s Committees on Personal Financial Planning and Relations with the Internal Revenue Service. Mr. Straus has also been actively involved in New York University’s state and local Tax Study Group.
Mr. Jacobson has been with the firm in various capacities since 2010. Prior to rejoining the firm full time, he served as a Senior Vice President at a large international bank and a Tax Associate at a large Wall Street law firm.
Mr. Jacobson advises clients on all types of real estate, estate, tax planning, and tax compliance matters, including the preparation of complex personal and business federal and state tax returns. Mr. Jacobson also has extensive experience representing clients on tax resolution matters before the IRS and state tax agencies.
One of Mr. Jacobson’s core values is his ability to provide timely and insightful analysis to facilitate strategic decision making. He graduated Magna Cum Laude with a J.D. from New York Law School.
Mr. Jacobson is a member of the New York State Bar Association, the Rockland County Bar Association, and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. He is also a Certified Tax Representation Consultant and a Gold Member of the Tax Rep Network.
Michael Straus initially joined the firm in 2006 and rejoined the firm in 2017 after spending seven years in Marketing and Billing for the largest private ambulance service in NY. Upon rejoining, Michael immediately began researching and implementing new technological upgrades that streamlined processes and increased capacity.
With a passion for efficiency and new tech, Michael continues to stay on top of the latest trends, advising clients on accounting and bookkeeping options, and assisting with software changes and upgrades. Michael is also the firm’s in house Crypto advisor, having researched and invested in virtual currencies since 2017.
Personability, patience, and the ability to explain tax and financial matters on a personal level are Michael’s key strengths.
His core value is simple: Treat clients like people! He has a Bachelors of Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from Touro University and a Masters in Accounting from CUNY Queens College. He is currently studying for the CPA Exam.