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About Thomas J. Roche, CPA, CFA

Thomas J. Roche, CPA, PLLC is a boutique accounting and tax advisory firm built on an analytical standard rarely found in solo public practice. The firm was founded on a simple premise: tax, accounting, and business planning should never exist in a silo.

Most accounting firms look backward. They act as historical recording agents, taking documents from the prior twelve months, populating software boxes, and calculating what is owed. While accurate compliance is essential, true tax optimization requires looking forward through an integrated investment, corporate finance, and capital structure lens.

As both a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in the State of New York and a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder, Thomas brings an institutional financial pedigree to individual and small business tax advisory. His career spans Big 4 assurance at Ernst & Young, corporate accounting at Goldman Sachs, institutional equity research at Barclays and Scotiabank, private wealth advisory for high-net-worth families, and corporate strategy at S&P Global.

This multidisciplinary background enables the firm to bridge the gap between tax compliance and broader financial strategy. Whether structuring an S-Corporation, planning around equity compensation events (RSUs, ISOs, and NQSOs), optimizing multi-state pass-through entities, or navigating the tax implications of complex investment portfolios, Thomas provides clear, evidence-based counsel designed to protect and compound capital.

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Technical Areas of Expertise

The firm delivers specialized advisory and preparation services across several core areas of technical competence:

  • Individual tax preparation & advisory

    • Individual Compliance: Accurate federal and multi-state Form 1040 return preparation.

    • Year-Round Planning: Proactive estimated tax modeling and liability forecasting throughout the year.

    • Investment & Capital Gains: Tax-loss harvesting, dividend planning, and multi-brokerage reconciliation.

    • Retirement Optimization: Tax-advantaged sequencing for IRAs, Backdoor Roths, and HSAs.

    • Equity Compensation: Navigating RSUs, ISOs, ESPPs, and Alternative Minimum Tax exposure.

  • Business tax preparation & entity structuring

    • Entity Structuring: Strategic tax elections for LLCs, Partnerships, and S-Corporations.

    • Reasonable Compensation: Defensible S-Corporation shareholder salary modeling to minimize FICA liability.

    • Corporate Tax Filings: Annual federal, state, and local entity return preparation and compliance.

  • Bookkeeping, fractional CFO, & business valuation

    • Advisory Bookkeeping: Monthly general ledger maintenance and review-ready financial statement preparation.

    • Fractional CFO Support: High-level strategic guidance for working capital, pricing, and margins.

    • FP&A & Budgeting: Multi-scenario cash flow modeling, forecasting, and KPI metric tracking.

  • Regulatory tax compliance & audit defense

    • Agency Representation: Resolving IRS notices, penalty abatement requests, and state inquiries.

    • Foreign Asset Disclosures: International reporting compliance for FBAR and Form 8938 filings.

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Education, Licenses, & Professional Credentials

Professional Designations & Licenses

  • Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

    • Credentialing Body: New York State Education Department (NYSED) - Office of the Professions

    • Designation Focus: Federal & multi-state taxation, financial accounting & reporting (US GAAP), auditing & attestation, regulatory compliance, and professional ethics.

  • Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder

    • Credentialing Body: CFA Institute

    • Designation Focus: Advanced investment analysis, valuation, quantitative methods, corporate finance, and ethical standards.

Academic Background

  • Master of Accounting (MAcc)

    • Institution: The Pennsylvania State University - Smeal College of Business

    • Areas of Focus: Advanced studies in financial accounting, federal taxation, corporate auditing, and business law.

  • Bachelor of Science in Accounting (B.S.)

    • Institution: The Pennsylvania State University - Smeal College of Business

    • Areas of Focus: Comprehensive coursework in taxation, financial accounting, forensic accounting, macro/microeconomics, managerial cost systems, and statistical modeling

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Professional Career History

Thomas’s professional track record reflects over a decade of continuous immersion in rigorous financial environments:

S&P Global

  • Role: Corporate Strategy

  • Focus: Long-term corporate strategic planning, market intelligence evaluation, financial modeling, and competitive benchmarking for a global financial data leader.

Barclays

  • Role: Equity Research Analyst

  • Focus: Deep-dive industry analysis, earnings forecasting, financial statement decomposition, and investment thesis development for institutional equity clients.

Ameriprise Financial

  • Role: Financial Advisor

  • Focus: Comprehensive wealth management, tax-efficient portfolio construction, estate planning coordination, and cash flow modeling for high-net-worth families and business owners.

Scotiabank

  • Role: Equity Research Analyst

  • Focus: Rigorous valuation modeling, balance sheet assessment, management discussions, and capital allocation across covered public corporations.

Goldman Sachs

  • Role: Corporate Accounting

  • Focus: Internal financial reporting, general ledger reconciliation, internal control adherence, and institutional financial operations.

Ernst & Young

  • Role: Assurance/Audit Staff

  • Focus: Independent financial statement audits, GAAP compliance verification, internal control testing, and audit workpaper documentation for commercial entities.