Justin Shelman

CPA

Biography

Justin Shelman graduated from Kentucky Wesleyan College with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Following graduation, Justin spent two years at a local CPA firm in St. Louis before moving to Chicago and joining NDH as Tax Manager in 2012. During Justin’s early tenure, he completed his master’s degree in taxation at DePaul University. He quickly asserted himself as an expert in the field of state and local taxation and now serves on the IL CPA Society’s State and Local Tax Committee. Justin works closely with businesses and business owners providing advisory services that integrate the entity taxes with owners’ personal taxes ensuring the most efficient tax outcome for his clients. Justin is active within the mergers and acquisition scene and serves as a valuable estate planning resource helping family offices and high net worth individuals ensure their needs are not only met today but met for future generations. Justin was promoted to Partner effective January 2023.

EXPERTISE: State and Local Taxes, Mergers & Acquisitions, Flow-through Taxation, Ultra High Net Worth Family Planning, Estate Planning

  • Favorite thing about NDH: Without a doubt, the people.  Our work is extremely interesting and provides opportunities you will not find elsewhere but working with the group of people we have in this office gives me a special level of gratitude.
  • Favorite NDH outing you’ve been on: It’s hard to pick just one.  Working with such a great group and getting to participate in so many experiences together has been amazing.  If I had to pick just one that sticks out, I would have to pick the 15 year anniversary trip.  The firm rented a whole bed and breakfast for the weekend and we had a full slate of activities including paintball, hiking, and even one night where we simply grilled out and played card and board games.  It was a great time celebrating 15 years of the firm!
  • Favorite vacation you’ve taken: I’ve been lucky enough to have many great vacations but this last year my wife and I did a “Tour of Northern California” consisting of hiking a few days in Yosemite National Park, a couple days of wine tasting in Napa, and golf at Pasatiempo Golf Course, Pebble Beach, and Olympic Club,. The trip was capped off with celebrating our great friends getting married in Monterrey.  All in, a week full of dramatically different activities.  
  • What is your side gig/passion project/hobby? Wine!  I have a pipedream of obtaining my Sommelier certificate as a side hobby one day.
  • Favorite movie quote: “Baxter, you know I don’t speak Spanish!” – Ron Burgundy (Anchorman was a staple on college golf team road trips; the movie itself is hysterical but watching it always brings back great memories on the road with my teammates).
  • Favorite way to celebrate your birthday: A good red wine and home cooked meal with my wife and dog.
  • Favorite concert you’ve attended: My wife and I are huge Old Dominion fans and have seen them several times.  The first stop of their first headlining tour was in Chicago and was an incredible experience.  The band took time to pull up some stools and run through how they got to where they are today – what songs they wrote, how they met each other, how the band went from a “hobby” to a headlining tour, etc.  Amazing evening with an incredible lineup!  Honorable mention for Coldplay at Soldier Field – the experience that band puts on is second to none!