William Timlen, CPA, has more than three decades of experience in tax, accounting, and management. He focuses on partnership taxation and passive activity loss rules, with a steady approach to profit-and-loss allocations and distributions. He advises borrowers on the tax consequences of debt restructurings and distressed real estate transactions, including foreclosures, deeds-in-lieu, and bankruptcy. He also works with real estate owners and developers on tax planning strategies. He provides advisory support to high-net-worth individuals and families, including guidance during complex federal and state tax examinations.
He joined a New York-based firm in 2016 as a Tax Partner in the Real Estate Group. The firm is recognized as a top 15 international tax advisory organization. Over the past 10 years, William has generated more than $2 million in new business, including $1 million in 2018. His work has included clients among the largest participants in the New York City real estate market. He also strengthened the NYC Real Estate Group by recruiting experienced professionals across both tax and audit practices.
As a member of the Real Estate Group Leadership Committee, he helps guide the Real Estate Practice's direction. His responsibilities include supporting thought leadership, contributing to business development, assisting with education initiatives, and shaping branding efforts.
He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Timlen began his career in 1993 as a Staff Accountant at Lear & Pannepacker, CPAs, in Princeton, New Jersey. During his four years there, he prepared tax workpapers and completed federal and state partnership, individual, corporate, and trust tax returns. He also prepared, compiled, and reviewed financial statement reports, researched various tax matters, and assisted managers with client-related tax correspondence.
In 1998, he joined KPMG, LLP as a Supervising Senior. In that role, he prepared detailed audit workpapers for international Fortune 100 companies in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries. This experience gave him a clear understanding of audit procedures and financial reporting within large organizations.
He later founded his accounting firm, Timlen & Company, in Princeton, New Jersey. His firm focused on tax consulting for high-net-worth individuals, real estate partnerships, and corporations. Within the first three years, he generated more than $600K in annual revenue. William Timlen developed long-term client relationships, created tax planning strategies, implemented management advisory recommendations, and provided detailed tax research to support client planning.
After running his firm for 10 years, he accepted a position as Tax Manager at Wiener, Frushtick & Straub in New York. In this role, he provided primary and top-side review of complex partnership, corporate, trust, and individual tax returns. He recommended like-kind exchange transactions for clients in the real estate industry, helping them defer millions of dollars in taxes. He also conducted tax research to support compliance and planning and represented clients during tax examinations before the IRS and state taxing authorities.
William then moved to Friedman, LLP as a Tax Principal in the Real Estate Group, where he worked for seven years before joining his current organization. In this role, he delivered tax and consulting services to a wide client base, including large multinational real estate and development companies, professional service firms, and high-net-worth individuals.
He served as the lead tax contact for one of the firm’s largest and most profitable accounts. He was responsible for maintaining and developing the client relationship, leading the tax engagement, managing billing and collections, and supervising teams of tax managers and senior staff. He also focused on business development by identifying cross-selling opportunities within the firm’s existing client base and building new business through relationship-building and professional networking.
He was also part of a management group that identified opportunities and provided practical recommendations to improve the NYC Tax Department's efficiency, effectiveness, profitability, and morale.
William attended Providence College in Rhode Island, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy. During his time there, he pitched in the Division 1 Baseball program for four years.
He attended Notre Dame High School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, where he was an All-State Baseball Player for two years.
He was born and raised in New Jersey and now lives in New Canaan, Connecticut, with his family. Timlen is married to Heather and has two sons who are in college. His son Tyler is a senior at the University of Connecticut, and Jack is a junior at the University of Miami. He follows UConn basketball and the University of Miami football closely.
He is also an avid golfer and a member of the Tamarack Country Club in Greenwich. He enjoys traveling across the United States and abroad.
He will be celebrating his 55th birthday this May. William Timlen continues to manage his professional responsibilities while maintaining a balanced personal life.
