Michael Bekas, CPA
Senior Consultant

Michael Bekas, CPA, is a Senior Consultant at Marks Paneth & Shron LLP. In this capacity, he assists individuals and enterprises in addressing business, retirement, charitable and personal tax needs. In addition to broad general tax knowledge, Mr. Bekas has specialized expertise in high net worth individuals, trust and estate planning, and charitable giving. CPA Magazine named Mr. Bekas as one of the "Top 40 Tax Advisors to Know During a Recession 2009."

Mr. Bekas has more than 30 years of experience in the public accounting field. His career history with Marks Paneth & Shron began in 1978, when he joined Charles Hecht & Co. as the sole member of its tax department. There he was instrumental in the department’s growth and development, building it into a robust, modern practice. His role as a Partner and leader continued after Charles Hecht & Co. combined with other predecessor firms in 2000, eventually becoming part of today’s Marks Paneth & Shron.

Mr. Bekas is a member of the American Institute of CPAs, the New York State Society of CPAs, and the New Jersey State Society of CPAs. Over the years, he has participated on numerous industry committees and has penned articles for the CPA Journaland other accounting publications. In 2009, Mr. Bekas authored a white paper entitled "Charitable Remainder Unitrusts: A Must-Consider Wealth Maximization Vehicle for Owners of Hard Assets” that explores how charitable remainder unitrusts — when structured properly — can create wealth optimization for high net worth individuals, their heirs and their charities.

Currently, charitable involvement and volunteer work occupy a large portion of Mr. Bekas’ spare time. He is a member of the UJA Federation of New York’s Legal and Tax Panel for which he provides pro bono guidance to the organization’s Department of Planned Giving in helping donors through the complex issues of charitable giving and retirement planning. He also participates as a speaker at UJA conferences and periodically contributes to its newsletter. In addition, Mr. Bekas is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Kidney Foundation of Greater New York. Having received a kidney transplant in 2002, he has become an active fundraiser and advocate for organ donation.

Mr. Bekas holds a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Queens College and is licensed to practice public accounting in New York and New Jersey. Based in New York City at Marks Paneth & Shron’s midtown headquarters, he resides in Central New Jersey.

Queens College, City University of New York
Bachelor of Arts
Major: Accounting

American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants
New Jersey State Society of Certified Public Accountants

• Member, Legal and Tax Panel

• Member, Board of Directors