Accounting for the Business Traveler

Guests at the Andaz Wall Street won’t have to go far to find an accountant to help with their taxes next week. One will be literally just down the hall.

The only hotel on Wall Street is launching its Accountant in Residence series, in which certified public accountant Marc Albaum will live at the Andaz and file taxes for hotel guests—for free—  from Sunday until April 15. The program was fashioned to address the demanding schedules of frequent business travelers and help guests file before the April 17 deadline.

Albaum—whose office normally is at 61 Broadway in Lower Manhattan—will move into the

Andaz’s 1,465-square-foot Buttonwood Suite (which has a living area, dining room and kitchen). The room, one of 253 at the hotel, also provides the perfect view of the East River.

While living at the hotel for the week, Albaum, will be dining at the hotel’s Wall & Water restaurant and taking advantage of the hotel’s other amenities, such as the complimentary snacks, coffee, juices and sodas for guests.

Not too taxing.

Any guest can take part, but must email [email protected] with 72 hours advance notice to secure an hour-long appointment. Albaum, a native New Yorker, has more than 20 years of experience, and already has a handful of signups.

The Downtown Alliance sat down with him to ask about his upcoming hotel stay.

So this is an offbeat idea.  What do you expect to happen?

I don’t know what to expect.  That’s what makes it interesting and exciting.

What type of clients do you expect to see?

I expect all types. I already have appointments for people with corporations and non-corporate small business.

So what are you looking forward to the most? 

Staying on Wall Street at the luxurious Andaz Wall Street Hotel and eating their delicious food.  Of course, I am also looking forward to meeting their guests and helping them with their tax issues.

How should your clients prepare?

It would be best if they have their records in order, already on a spreadsheet if there’s a business, and of course, they must make an appointment.

Doesn’t this mean that your clients will have to bring all of their tax paperwork on their trip? Advice?

No. They can e-mail it to me or just have it on a thumb drive.

What does your family think of this idea?

My wife loves the idea of staying in a luxury hotel.

So if it turns out a client owes a lot, do you send him or her down to the Bar Seven Five? 

I plan on advising them on the best possible way to deal with their tax situation, so they will be celebrating in Bar Seven Five instead!

Oh, and how does this room compare with your office space?

No one caters gourmet meals to my desk and cleans up after me in my current office.