James Bartek ’92
Partner, Tax | WithumSmith +Brown
Jim joined WithumSmith + Brown as a tax partner in 2019 and currently leads the National State and Local Tax practice. Prior to joining Withum, Jim was a tax partner at KPMG LLP in their State and Local Tax practice. Prior to joining KPMG LLP, Jim served as managing director at a global professional services firm specializing in global tax planning, interim management, and turnaround services, where he was responsible for building and overseeing the firm’s New York metro sales and use tax practice. Previously, he spent nearly 17 years in the State and Local Tax Practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in the New York metro area.
During his more than 25 year career, Jim has gained extensive experience advising Global 1000, middle market, and start-up clients in the areas of audit defense and appeal, ASC 450, sales and use tax refund claims, process automation, negotiation of voluntary compliance agreements, mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, Sarbanes/Oxley requirements, state and local income tax, unclaimed property, credits and incentives, and property tax. Jim has gained extensive experience assisting clients with complex state and local tax planning and compliance issues in various industries, such as financial services, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, retail, technology, telecommunications, and utilities.
He has built a reputation as a leading sales and use tax specialist and developed trusted relationships with New Jersey and New York state government officials.
Jim is a former member of the New Jersey Tax Director’s Advisory Council, former Chairman of NJSCPA State and Local Tax and Sales/Use Tax committees.
Publications and Speaking Engagements
- Frequently speaks on sales and use tax topics at several national and local seminars including IPT, NJSCPA, Council on State Taxation (COST), Georgetown Law Advanced State and Local Institute, Tax Executives Institute (TEI), Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA), and Lorman.
- Conducts training sessions for clients related to the indirect tax process and function efficiency.
- Authored several sales and use tax related articles including “Preparing for Online Sales and Use Tax Collection” in the October 2012 edition of Financial Executive magazine, “Annual Tax Update Shows Increasingly Dynamic Landscape” in the November/December 2015 edition of New Jersey CPA magazine and “A New Standard for Sales and Use Tax Nexus?” in the July/August 2018 edition of New Jersey CPA magazine.