Featured Contributors

Cory Barwick - CCH, Inc.

Cory Barwick is Lead Tax Analyst within CCH, Inc.’s sales and use tax group. Cory primarily supports the SpeedTax product line, a Software-as-a-Service sales tax solution that offers easy-to-use, affordable, and technologically advanced sales tax management and compliance services to businesses of all sizes. Prior to this position, Cory was the Director of Compliance with SpeedTax, Inc. and transitioned to CCH as part of CCH’s acquisition of SpeedTax. Cory previously was a manager in Grant Thornton's Philadelphia office, specializing in state and local tax. He has a comprehensive understanding of sales and use tax requirements in all states and locally administered jurisdictions that impose tax. He also managed Grant Thornton's national sales and use tax compliance center. Cory earned a B.S. in Business Administration, as well as a Masters in Accountancy, from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

Celesia D. E. Laymon - Wilmoth & Associates, P.A. - Firm Details

Ms. Laymon is a multi-state sales tax manager, specializing in monthly compliance for small businesses operating in 12-50 states. She has created software solutions for testing data, tracking, organizing, remitting, and reporting registrations, renewals, returns, and notices for S&U tax and qualification requirements. Ms. Laymon leads special projects and has completed several taxability matrices in service, construction, dental, medical, and software fields. Other projects completed include nationwide registrations, compliance setups and catch-ups, audit defense, voluntary disclosures, and over-payment retrieval. Ms. Laymon is fluent in several software packages offered by CCH, RIA, Intuit, Lacerte, and Vertex. Celesia received her BAcc from the Coggin College of Business at UNF and maintains updated in her field through the IPT and daily newsletters. (See also Kim M. Wilmoth, CPA)

Monika Miles - Labhart Miles Consulting Group - Firm Details

Before forming Labhart Miles Consulting Group, Monika's background included 11 years with a "Big 4" firm. Monika has provided such services as federal and state income/franchise tax compliance and consulting, sales/use tax consulting, audit support, and credits and incentives reviews. She has served clients in industries including manufacturing, technology, telecom, construction, utility, retail and financial services. Monika has served as a speaker for organizations including the American Society of Women Accountants (ASWA), Lorman Group, and San Jose State University. Her professional affiliations include the AICPA, Texas Society of CPAs, the National Association of Women Business Owners, and ASWA. She also contributes to state tax publications including The Journal of Multistate Taxation and Incentives. Monika graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso with a BBA in Accounting/Finance and has a Masters in Taxation from San Jose State University.

Timothy Noonan - Hodgson Russ LLP - Firm Details

Mr. Noonan's area of practice is state and local tax law, with a focus on handling New York State and City tax litigation and controversy work. Mr. Noonan lectures frequently on New York State and multistate tax matters and is on the faculty of the Institute of Continuing Professional Education. He is the author of a monthly column in State Tax Notes, a national multistate tax publication, entitled "Noonan's Notes on Tax Practice", as well as numerous articles on state and local taxes. He also is a contributor to LexisNexis Practice Insights for Lexis.com's Tax Center and the general editor of LexisNexis Tax Practice Insights: New York, 2009 edition. Mr. Noonan received the 2004 Burton Award for excellence in legal achievement for his co-authorship of "Executive Compensation and Employer Withholding," Journal of Multistate Taxation, August 2003. Mr. Noonan graduated cum laude (B.A. & J.D.) from University of Buffalo and University of Buffalo Law School (State University of New York).

Geni Whitehouse, CPA.CITP, CSPM - Even a Nerd Can Be Heard

Geni Whitehouse, CPA.CITP, CSPM is the Founder of Even a Nerd Can Be Heard an organization focused on communication skills for smart people. She is a former software company executive and industry analyst and a two-time graduate of the Jeff Justice Comedy Workshoppe. She is passionate about finding interesting ways to talk about what some might consider boring subjects and has discovered that there is no shortage of material. She is the author of How to Make a Boring Subject Interesting: 52 ways even a nerd can be heard, (available from Amazon.com) which offers presentation help for her fellow nerds.

Kim M. Wilmoth, CPA - Wilmoth & Associates, P.A. - Firm Details

Kim Wilmoth founded her accounting and tax firm in 1998. She has well-over twenty-five years of experience in the accounting and tax fields. Kim has extensive experience in tax research, audit, the credit & refund process as well as successful voluntary disclosure. Kim continually invests in the development of her team and together they provide a wide variety of accounting, consulting, and tax service opportunities to businesses and individuals. Kim holds a Masters of Accountancy from the University of North Florida, specializing in Taxation. Kim was one of the founders of the Information Reporting Roundtable, a group comprised of Tax Professionals from over 20 Banks. Kim serves on the Board of Directors for the Dean's Education Advisory Committee at UNF, and as Treasurer for both the Jacksonville Humane Society and for Character Counts! in Jacksonville.

Diane L. Yetter - Yetter^TM - Firm Details

Diane Yetter is a strategist, advisor, speaker, author and expert witness in the field of sales and use tax. She is president of YETTER^TM, working with a network of partners to deliver sales tax services including transaction tax automation assistance, strategic planning, training and general consulting. YETTER works with clients of all sizes and in a myriad of industries. Diane belongs to many organizations, and she presents to groups on sales and use tax issues. Diane is a member of the Sales & Use Tax Alert editorial advisory board, IOMA's Institute of Financial Management Editorial Advisory Board and has published books and articles on sales and use tax. She founded The Sales Tax Institute which offers live and online courses about sales and use tax. Diane has a BS in accounting and business administration from the University of Kansas and an MS in taxation from DePaul University. She serves on the Board of Advisors, KU School of Business where she is an adjunct professor.

Carla Yrjanson - Sabrix - Thomson Reuters  - Firm Details

Carla Yrjanson is the Sr. Director of Tax Services at Sabrix - Thomson Reuters. She leads the Tax Research Team which is responsible for delivering the Sales/Use Tax and Value Added Tax rates and rules. She also leads the MTS Compliance Team which prepares tax returns for MTS clients. Carla has more than fifteen years of experience specializing in sales and use tax. Prior to joining Sabrix -Thomson Reuters Carla was a tax auditor for the State of Washington for 7 years and was a state and local tax manager with PricewaterhouseCoopers.