Michael T. Hanley, CPA - Managing Partner
Profile
Michael is the managing partner of Merl & Hanley, LLP. As a Certified Public Accountant and QuickBooks ProAdvisor, he focuses his efforts on small business owners and self-employed individuals. His expertise includes helping start-up and home-based businesses select the best type of entity for their business model. Earlier this year, Long Island Business News named Michael the "One to Watch" in the field of Accounting. Michael's expert tax advice has been featured in Newsday, the LA Times, Long Island Business News, Accounting Crossing, Brandweek Magazine, Business House, Business Opportunities, Tax Auditor, USAA Magazine and several other publications.
In just three and a half years, he has expanded his business from a sole proprietorship with five clients to a thriving CPA firm with a staff of seven, over 250 business clients, and over 400 personal tax clients. Michael credits activities such as his role as a CPA Review Course instructor with helping him stay on top of the rapidly shifting business climate and the ever-changing tax laws.
Associations/Affiliations
- Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
- Member, NYS Society of Certified Public Accountants
- President, Irish Business Network
- Director,
Kings
Park
Chamber of Commerce
- President,
Suffolk
Business Executives
- Chairman,
Suffolk
County
AOH
“Buy Irish” Committee
- Vice President, Kings Park/Smithtown AOH
- Member,
Smithtown
Industry Advisory Board
- Instructor, Becker CPA Review Course
Steven Z. Merl, CPA - Senior Partner
Profile
Steve is a New York State licensed CPA with over thirty years of public accounting experience. He holds a B.S. in Accounting and is a member of both the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. Steve's expertise is in small business accounting and trust/estate taxes.
Industry specializations include restaurants, doctors, attorneys, non-profit organizations, and high net worth individuals.
Associations/Affiliations
- Member, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
- Member, NYS Society of Certified Public Accountants
- Director,
Smithtown Chamber of Commerce
Kathryn Schwinn - Senior Accountant
Profile
With over twenty years of accounting experience, Kathy is one of the most renowned trust & estate accountants on Long Island today. Her expert knowledge in the field ensures that all Merl & Hanley clients with trust & estate taxation issues receive the finest tax advice possible. Other areas of expertise include corporate and personal taxation.
Sherry Shahabian - Senior Accountant
Profile
With over fifteen years of accounting experience, Sherry has positioned herself atop the small business accounting field as a foremost authority on sales tax related issues. Specializing in small business accounting and bookkeeping, she has also developed a razor sharp mind for payroll strategies and payroll processing.
Debra Newman - Office Manager
Profile
Twenty plus years of managing accounting practices means that Debbie is no run-of-the-mill office manager. In addition to managing the clerical staff, Debbie plays a huge role in compiling all of our instruction cover sheets, collating tax returns, and performing other accounting-firm related duties that an ordinary office manager would never be able to handle.
