Half Day Tax Seminar (E1712969)

Howard J. Bookbinder, CPA, practices in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, and is a former instructor of accounting and taxation at Rutgers University. Additionally, he frequently lectures on federal tax updates, payroll tax issues, ethics and Circular 230. Mr. Bookbinder has addressed many professional, civic and community groups in New Jersey, Ohio, New York, Alabama and Georgia, including the American Society of Women Accountants, Mended Hearts, Bergen County Bar Association, Rotary Clubs, Lions Clubs, AARP, The Telephone Pioneers and NCCPAP. He has also lectured to firms on an in-house basis in the area of professional ethics and taxation. Mr. Bookbinder is a frequent lecturer at many tax seminars sponsored by the New Jersey Society of CPAs, the AICPA, Kean University, Rowan University and the Internal Revenue Service. He served as chairman of the Cooperation with the Internal Revenue Service for four years and is a current member of the New Jersey State Tax Committee. He has been involved with the Internal Revenue Service symposiums for IRS employees and tax practitioners for the past several years. He is a past president of the Bergen Chapter of the New Jersey Society of CPAs and a past trustee of the New Jersey Society of CPAs. He is a contributing author for the Bergen Record’s Tax Mailbag column, and has appeared on the cable TV program of the same name. Mr. Bookbinder is the author of Write-up Services for Small Businesses, a book published by the AICPA. Mr. Bookbinder is a graduate of Pace University and has attended the American Institute of Banking.

James A. Lawrence, CPA is a partner at Traphagen Financial Group in Oradell, NJ. He specializes in individual and business tax returns, Internal Revenue Service representation including audit and appeals and negotiates installment agreements, offers in compromise and other collection procedures. Mr. Lawrence works closely with attorneys to ensure our client’s information is clearly and favorably presented and has testified as an expert in court proceedings. He has over 20 years of experience in tax planning and business structure for individuals and businesses. In addition, he is a licensed insurance provider. Mr. Lawrence is a member of the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants (NJCPA) and serves on the Board of Trustees. He is also a member of the Federal and State Taxation Committees and has served as president of the NJCPA's Bergen Chapter. Mr. Lawrence is a graduate of Rutgers University. In addition, he received his certification as a Certified College Planning Specialist (CCPS) from the National Institute of Certified College Planners. He provides invaluable knowledge to assist families in their process of funding a quality education. He is one of only 500 who hold the CCPS certification nationally.

Christina started with the Division in 2007 in the Customer Service Call Center. During her 8 years in the Division’s Customer Service center she gained a vast knowledge of all taxes and programs administered by the Division. She assisted not only the taxpayers of New Jersey during her time in the Customer Service center but also the practitioners and business community through the Pratitioner Hotline. Christina joined Taxation University in 2015 where she became a strong part of our employee training program and continued to assist the practitioners and business communities by providing valuable tax information through seminars and education. In April of 2020 Christina moved to the Office of Legislative Analysis to assist in navigating the legislation that impacts the Division. As of the spring of 2023 Christina is the newest addition to the Office of the Taxpayer Advocate. Christina has served on various projects over the course of her career including the planning and implementation of the Division first ever New Hire Boot Camp training program in 2017, the Intergrated Tax System training plan implementation, and most recently the ANCHOR Program advertising and outreach campaign. Christina’s tax knowledge, customer service experience, and project management skill set is a strong assest to the Division of Taxation. Christina is a loving mother of three and an avid baker.

Abra has been with the Division for eighteen years and has been an instructor since 2008. She schedules and takes the lead on training our Customer Service Center employees. She also teaches classes for our Division wide training program and provides instruction and information at public events all over New Jersey and beyond. Her background in customer service, her extensive tax knowledge, and enthusiasm for public speaking make her an irreplaceable member of our team.

In her spare time, Abra loves singing, acting, and writing poetry. She is an accomplished community theater singer and actress.