Rick Birbaum has been my accountant for the last 20 years, and I hope he never retires. About 15 years ago, I was audited once. I did the preparation work and Rick met with the IRS. We won. The audit was caused by a deduction that I claimed so it was my fault. The process was not at all painful. I would ask the complainants in these posts to examine their own roles in their tax issues. As a business administrator, I am very demanding and critical but I know that my taxes have been accurately and properly prepared for the past 20 years, as have those of some highly qualified individuals, including investment bankers and mathematicians, I have introduced to Rick. None of them have been audited and there have been no complaints.\r
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I have also worked in the now defunct Birnbaum and Glucksman. Birnbaum carries the weight of the entire practice on his shoulders and this is most apparent from January 2 to April 15. He works 15 to 16 hours a day. Truth is, his office is an unceasing whirl of motion to complete all the tax returns, and calls, depending on the timing of and the reason for them, often do not get returned until after April 15. The clients are well taken care of because Rick automatically files extensions for the regular clients who cannot get in to see him by April 15. I filed extensions for the past two years, and find it so much more relaxing to work with Rick later in the year. I liked his ex-partner, David Glucksman but there is no doubt that Glucksman's demeanor - rude, abrasive, confrontational, loud and demanding - was no asset to the firm.\r
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I have come to know Rick as a decent, quiet, caring and unassuming gentleman. It is true that he sometimes does not convey all the minutia when explaining an issue but his advice is always correct. There will always be unhappy clients but some of these posts border on slander. I wonder if there are motives other than professional reasons for such vitriol.
Pros: Expertise on tax laws and money management tools
Cons: Hard to get appointments by April 1.
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