SPECIALISTS
Wilfredo Fernandez
Partner, Citrin Cooperman Advisors LLC
Partner, Citrin Cooperman & Company, LLP
Experience
Will Fernandez is an accounting and tax partner with over 30 years of experience providing strategic auditing, accounting, tax, and consulting services. He is the co-leader of the firm’s Auto Dealership Practice and co-leader of the Business Advisory Services committee.
Will specializes in serving clients in the auto dealership industry, as well as manufacturers and distributors of auto parts, medical devices, and food products. He also advises high net worth individuals.
With deep expertise in auto dealerships, Will works closely with clients on dealership acquisitions, negotiations, and manufacturing documentation, including projections and forecasts. He also develops strategies for year-end and ongoing tax issues, as well as automotive tax compliance and implications with regards to mergers and acquisitions.
Clients also benefit from Will’s expertise in minimizing tax impacts, assisting with cost segregation studies, depreciation, and utilizing domestic production activity credits. For high net worth individuals, Will advises on a range of matters such as year-end tax planning, estate planning, and state residency issues.
As the practice co-leader of the firm’s Auto Dealerships Practice, Will and his practice were featured in the 2016 NJBIZ Business Profiles.
CREDENTIALS
Education
Bachelor of Business Administration, Magna Cum Laude, Pace University
Licenses
Certified Public Accountant in the States of New York and New Jersey
Honors & Awards
New Jersey Hospital Association (NJHA) "Hospital Trustee of the Year" (2019)
Finalist, SmartCEO “CPA of the Year” (2015)
SmartCEO “CPA Firm of the Year” (2015)
Presentations & Publications
Lessons in Leadership: CEOs explain how they built companies, ROI-NJ, December 4, 2017
Year-End Tax Tips and Planning Guide for Auto Dealerships, 2017
Improving Performance - Part 1: How Benchmarking Can Be Useful to Your Dealership, SPARKS, October 2017
Improving Performance – Part 2: How Benchmarking Labor Metrics Can be Useful to Your Dealership, SPARKS, November 2017
Internal Controls: Is Your Dealership Losing Money You Don't Know About? SPARKS, July 2017
Affiliations
Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
Member, New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants (NJSCPA)
Member, New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA).
Treasurer, Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce mid 1990’s (3 Years)
Trustee, United Way of Passaic County 1998 to 2002 (Chaired last 2 years)
Trustee, St. Joseph’s Healthcare System 1998 to 2017
- Past Chair, Wayne Hospital (2002-2003)
- Chair, Audit Committee (2009-2014)
- Chair, Finance (2015-present)
- Vice Chair, Board of Trustees (2013-present)
- Member, Executive Committee and Executive Compensation Committee
Member, Board of Trustees of Morristown Beard School (2011-2017)
- Chair, Building and Grounds Committee (2013)
- Chair, Audit Committee (2014-present)
- Member, Advancement Committee
Notre Dame of Mt. Carmel Church (Cedar Knolls NJ)
- Co-Trustee of the Parish (2016)
- Member of the Finance Committee (2010-present)
Treasurer, Purrfect Pals, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to rescuing, vetting and adopting abandoned kittens and cats (2010-present)
WORK-LIFE BALANCE
Community Involvement
Will spends a significant amount of his time on community-related endeavors. He is an active volunteer and fundraiser in the Annual Rockland Road Runners' 5 Mile Turkey Trot to benefit the Marisa Fund.
Outside the Office
Will lives in East Hanover with his wife and his two sons.
Get in touch with Wilfredo Fernandez today.
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"It's a great feeling knowing that I have a direct impact on my clients' businesses, by working jointly with them to plan out strategies and then helping put those plans into practice."
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Get in touch with Wilfredo Fernandez today.
Fill out the form below to get in direct contact with Wilfredo Fernandez and start your personalized consultation journey.
