"City of Brotherly Love" Welcomes TEI.

54th Annual Conference

October 23-27

October brings thoughts of fall foliage, pumpkins, trick-or-treat, Columbus Day, Oktoberfest, stock market corrections ... and TEI's annual conference. Please make plans to join your tax colleagues in Philadelphia on October 23-27 for Tax Executives Institute's 54th Annual Conference.

As the 21st century approaches, tax executives face a wide array of challenges. The IRS and Revenue Canada are undergoing massive reorganizations that will fundamentally affect taxpayers. The Treasury Department's push for far-reaching tax shelter legislation may undermine traditional planning activities. A federal tax advisory commission is assessing possible changes in how electronic commerce should be taxed. And tax departments continue to search for ways to do their jobs better, faster, and smarter.

Keeping up to date in these times is critical and there is no better way to hear about the latest developments than TEI's Annual Conference. Comments on those developments will be provided by keynote speakers such as Deputy Treasury Secretary Stuart Eizenstat, Assistant Treasury Secretary Jon Talisman, IRS Commissioner Charles Rossotti, and Joint Committee Chief of Staff Lindy Paull, and Governor Michael Leavitt of Utah, who is a member of the federal Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce. In addition, Judge David Laro of the United States Tax Court -- who wrote the opinion in the ACM case -- will share his perspective on the judicial response to corporate tax shelters. These presentations, combined with the technical sessions planned by the Institute's Continuing Education Committee, guarantee that conference registrants will receive a top-notch education experience.

Technical Sessions

The location of the conference -- Philadelphia -- has been the site of many historic debates and TEI is about to add one more. An unprecedented three-hour symposium on corporate tax shelters will feature government officials, practitioners, and a representative of the news media. In addition, participants will learn about corporate debt, as well as INDOPCO developments and worker classification issues in the Federal Tax Committee's technical sessions. And the IRS Administrative Affairs Committee will offer sessions on hot IRS practice and procedure issues and the state tax consequences of federal RARs.

Four simple words -- Reducing Effective Tax Rates -- increasingly sum up how a corporate tax department measures success, and the international arena offers its own unique set of challenges. International sessions will also be offered on European audit and competent authority issues and expatriate issues. The Canadian Tax Committee will present programs on GST developments and cross-border transactions, including the application of GAAR to currency loans.

State and local issues continue to command attention, and in Philadelphia, TEI is planning not only a State update session by impresario Paul Frankel, but also programs on dealing with DOR discovery requests and synthetic leases and securitization. Plus there will be 22 industry sessions, corporate tax management and technology sessions, and countless networking opportunities, both at TEI functions and conference-associated receptions.

Awards and Entertainment

The conference will also give TEI the opportunity to recognize the contributions of five individuals who have played significant roles in the corporate tax community: Sheldon S. Cohen, James Hutchison, Larry R. Langdon, Charles W. Rau, and Paul J. Schaffhausen.

The conference will not only offer excellent opportunities for continuing professional education and networking, but also for socializing and entertainment. On Sunday evening, participants and their guests may dance to the music of The Exceptions, and on Tuesday night harken back to the '60s with one of Philadelphia's teen idols, Bobby Rydel, and The Shirelles.

Member Discount for First-Time Attendees

TEI is also continuing its discount offer to members who have never before attended an Institute conference. The $200 discount is equivalent to one year's dues and makes the conference more economical than ever before.

For more information about the conference, contact TEI at [phone].