01/30/2024
Dear Clients & Friends,
Greetings & Happy New Year 2024 from the office of Theodore Houlis Public Accountant!
Most of you already know, but for those who don't, my father unfortunately passed away suddenly the morning of March 9, 2023, after pulling up to the office & had a massive heart attack. I took over his business that day & continued the rest of the season with my new CPA team (Donohue, Gironda & Doria), who started with me on March 27, 2023. What many don't know, a few days before I started with them, my former associate Marko Paprikic, who had been working for my Dad for numerous years & we knew his family for a very long time, up & left me 2 weeks after his death with no notice at all & no good reason. I should have been the one having the nervous breakdown, but I promised my Dad that I would keep my feet firmly planted & do what needed to be done & protect his amazing legacy. My Dad & I both trusted him & so did our entire family & he stabbed us in the back all because he freaked out & couldn't handle the pressure. I'm not going to get into it all, but it's a real shame, because I really enjoyed working with Marko, thought of him as family & was looking forward to a great future with him at the office. I am very thankful though that he showed his true colors before going any further & signing contracts with him to take over the business with me, which he tried pushing in our faces & wanted signed the following day. He should have known better that couldn't happen until my Dad's will went through probate & he also tried changing all the numbers for the sale of the business & practically wanted to take it all for himself & give us only "pennies". Yeah, that wasn't happening & I know my Dad is screaming at Marko in major huge disappointment! Marko had the nerve to say he thought of my Dad as a father figure & had the upmost respect for him. UNBELIEVABLE! He could have & should have honored my Dad & finished out tax season with me. He went about it all wrong. That's OK, I truly believe in karma & it's his huge loss!
That being said, going forward, we are continuing the work that my father began 60 years ago. My new CPA's are in the process of purchasing the business & I of course am staying on to continue running my father's legacy, which is how my Dad wanted it. We look forward to serving you, just as my father did for so many years.
I would like to introduce you to part of my new CPA team! The photo in front of the office, which we just recently took, has Robert (Bob) Gironda to my right, his son Jason Gironda to my left, Robert (Bob) Doria to my far right & Leo Tobon (one of their associates) to my far left. The other photo, which was taken in their Bayonne office during their Christmas party, has Jeanine Vida, next to her is Karen Matelesko & on the far right there is Christine Curtis. Of course Bob Gironda is also in that photo next to me & Bob Doria is on the other side. There are several others on the team, but it is very difficult to get everyone together in one place for a complete group photo & they also have another office in Secaucus. They have all been amazing & can't thank them enough for everything they have done & continue to do! I am really looking forward to having a great future with them. So many of my clients talked to them on the phone/e-mail, but never met them in person, since they weren't in my office & was only working with them remotely. Since starting with them, tax returns continued being completed under my Dad's name & number while I was waiting for my approval, which was completely legal to do up until July 31, 2023, when the IRS told me his would be shutdown for good. It was a bit of a frustrating process & had to jump through several hoops, but finally got my approval & number literally one day before his was about to get deactivated & tax returns have now been under my name since. Such an amazing feeling & I know my Dad would be proud of everything I have done & continue to do. My new CPA team was reviewing my work (making some additions) & clients were either coming in to sign & pick up their completed returns or they were being e-mailed/mailed to them, since we have clients all over the country. The day my Dad died, I was still very unsure about myself, even though over the years he would constantly say to me about so many returns that I already completed them, they are good to go. Some of the more difficult returns or business returns though I was struggling with & still so much I didn't know how to enter/complete. In less than 6 months time though working with my new CPA team, I have really grown, come a very long way, so much more confident & am completing more work.
It's that time of year & tax season is upon us once again. We are ready & able to help you. We encourage you to either drop off your documents at the office or you can send everything by e-mail, fax or mail your documents. At this time, we currently aren't taking appointments, but my CPA team will be in the office weekly on a rotating schedule this year & we will be getting returns completed & out in a very timely manner. As I mentioned, last year we were only working remotely together on tax returns & due to the situation with my father's sudden death a little over a month before the tax deadline, everyone had to go on extension & several things kept us from completing returns in a timely matter. Please call me to discuss your unique situation, we can setup a day & time to bring you in to sit down with one of them & get you completed the same day.
You will also notice that I have made some changes to the office for the new season. I have now officially moved into my Dad's office & I also moved the furniture around. When clients came in last year, I would have them come into my father's office, go over the returns, have them sign & then go right back to working in my office when they left. It just didn't feel right to me sitting at his desk. It was even harder going through everything, emptying out drawers, finding tons of stuff & lots of emotional crying breakdowns over the past almost 11 months. It still feels weird, but my Dad would have wanted me to be in his office. Moving things around helped me feel a bit better about it. Shawnee (Sweetie), or should I say....my little CPA in training....definitely loves the change, especially since most of the time he is sitting behind me in my chair & can keep looking outside. I added a before photo of his office as well, which was taken about a month before he died.
All the best,
Jennifer Houlis Bolger
Theodore Houlis Public Accountant
Houlis Tax Prep LLC
