John N. Evans, CPA

Marks Paneth LLP

On Jul 28, 2016

It was actually a nun at Pope Pius XII High School in Passaic who set John Evans on the path to being an accountant, and eventually to his position as Partner-in-Charge in the New Jersey office of Marks Paneth, a leading regional professional services firm, with revenues in excess of $113 million. She said, “You’re good at math. You’d probably do well in the accounting field.” So, he studied accounting at night at Seton Hall University and worked during the day at a neighborhood butcher shop.

Born in 1954 in Paterson, John’s first big step up came in 1978 when he interviewed with Arthur Andersen. He got the job, and in 1990, he was named partner, taking over the middle market tax practice.

When Andersen closed down, John made the jump to Deloitte & Touche, where he worked as a partner in the lead tax services group. As he put it, “One door closes, another door opens.” Although his rise in the ranks probably had more to do with the way he approaches his work. “Integrity, competency and responsiveness,” he says, are key to the success of any good accountant.

When he was asked about working with John, one colleague observed, “He’s a consummate professional who always contributes the best he can to any situation, and gets real pleasure from mentoring others so they can benefit from his many years of experience.”

Now at Marks Paneth, he specializes in tax issues affecting closely-held businesses and their owners. However, what is most important to John is not the number of clients he has served, but the work ethos he has a major hand in creating at his New Jersey office. “A collaborative culture where all opinions are considered, regardless of whether one views them as helpful at the time, is vital,” John says.

John is also recognized for his tax expertise and has written for, and been interviewed by, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune, USA Today, Inc., Bottom Line for Business and Crain’s New York Business, among others. He has also been a guest on CNBC, CNN and Fox Business Cable.

Asked what he sees in his future, he was straightforward: “I strive to improve the lives of others in any way I can. I truly enjoy making other people happy and find you can do this by a simple ‘hello,’ kind act or other caring action that lets them know they matter.” Beyond the office, John embodies this principal through his long-time support for CancerCare.

Vital Stats

Education

• Seton Hall University Bachelor of Science: Business Administration

Practice Area

• Taxation for Closely Held Companies
• Corporate Tax
• Strategic Tax Planning

Affiliations

• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
• New York State Society of CPAs
• New Jersey Society of CPAs
• CancerCare Member, Board of Trustees
• Member, Executive and Finance Committees

Years with Firm

• 5

Contact Info 

Phone: 973-630-5044
Fax: 973-267-8205
Email: jevans@markspaneth.com 

 

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