Partner

Pamela Dennett, CPA, CFP®

Tax

I will not sacrifice quality for quantity.

Contact Me

Bio

Meet Pamela*

Pam has over 30 years of expertise in the estate, gift and trust tax area. She works extensively with high-net-worth multigenerational families, closely held business owners, executives, fiduciaries (corporate and individual), family offices and beneficiaries of large estates/trusts.

Prior to joining Armanino, Pam was a national resource for Deloitte as a subject matter expert in the areas related to estate tax, gift tax, post-mortem tax planning, fiduciary income tax and generation-skipping transfer tax and was an advisor to corporate trustees.  She also spent seven years with Goldman Sachs Private Wealth Management as a senior wealth strategist covering Southern California, Texas and Las Vegas providing comprehensive planning to some of the wealthiest clients at Goldman Sachs.

*Pamela holds her interest in the firm through PACD SERVICES, PLLC

Contact Pamela Dennett

Experience

Professional History

Associations

  • American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
  • California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA)
  • Texas Society of CPAs
  • Dallas Estate Planning Council

Community

  • Member of Advisory Council for Communities Foundation of Texas
  • Member of Board of Governors of Dallas Estate Planning Council
  • Previous Officer & Member of Board of Directors of Beverly Hills Estate Planning Council

Education

  • Old Dominion University

Experience

  • Deloitte LLP
  • Goldman Sachs
  • BDO LLP

Speaking Engagements

  • 2014 American Bar Association Trust and Real Property Section - “Tax Planning for Adult Beneficiaries of Trusts”, San Francisco, CA.
  • 2011 USC Law Tax Institute - “Section 645 and the Battle Between an Estate vs. Trust”, January 26, 2011, Los Angeles, CA

Thought Leadership Publications

  • “Maximizing the Benefits of the Section 645 Election” - November 2004, Estate Planning.
  • “Stock Options After Death: Learn Before It’s Too Late (Part 1 and 2)” - 2003, www.mystockoptions.com
     

Q&A

Q. What is it about accounting and consulting that first drew your interest?
My first job out of college was as a paralegal at a large law firm in the estate tax group. I worked with lawyers who were also CPAs, and found the work came naturally to me. It inspired me to go back to school and become a CPA myself, and today I am still helping people with estate tax.
Q. Without naming names, tell us about your favorite client and why you enjoyed working with them.
I have been fortunate to work with many wonderful families in my career. One of my favorites is a client who came to the U.S. with almost nothing, moved to California to buy some land to work, and ultimately became one of the largest farmers in the state. I had the pleasure to work with three generations of intelligent, successful, hardworking, generous, humble and considerate family members.
Q. Describe your work style.
Efficient but very detailed when necessary. I will not sacrifice quality for quantity.
Q. If you could pass on a nugget of wisdom to aspiring accountants or consultants, what would that be?
You will be surrounded by many intelligent people, but the ones who tend to excel and move up are those who keep a positive attitude and are always a team player.
Q. What do you love most about your work?
In the estate tax area, my favorite part of the job is helping families who have lost a loved one and are faced with complex tax filings. I love taking over all the complex tax work so they can focus on healing and grieving.
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Pamela's Thought Leadership
Blog articles
Article
CA Proposition 19 and What It Means for Your Estate Plan
It changes the rules on gifting property to children, so consider making gifts before 2020 ends.
November 11, 2020
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