TEI's first webconference draws more than 1,200 participants: week-long S&L, advanced federal courses also held.

More than 1,200 individuals participated in TEI's first webconference on disclosure rules relating to reportable transactions under the tax shelter regulations. The 90-minute conference, entitled Don't tat the IRS Play "Gotcha" with Your Tax Return: What You Need to Know about Tax Return Disclosures before September 15th, included online polling of participants focusing on what companies are doing to comply with the new regulations. Moderated by TEI member John Brennan of the Santa Clara Valley Chapter, the July 8 program featured Jim Gouwar and Ron Buch of McKee Nelson LLP.

According to Mike Boyle of the Seattle Chapter, chair of TEI's Continuing Education Committee, the distance-learning program underscored the value of belonging to the Institute. "One benefit of our web and telephone seminars is that a single member can register and then have all his or her departmental colleagues join the program. Thus, 400 registrants yielded more than 1,200 listeners." Mr. Boyle explained that the timeliness of the program was a draw: "Because calendar-year taxpayers are facing their first tax return filing since the new disclosure rules became effective, the topic was a particularly timely one for our members."

Mr. Boyle said the Institute will continue to seek out opportunities to use technology to improve its members' learning experience. "With more and more pressure on company travel budgets," he said, "TEI must find innovative ways to provide up-to-the-minute educational programs to our members."

TEI also offered more traditional educational programs during the summer months. In July, a week-long course on state and local taxes was offered at UCLA in Los Angeles, and in August, participants learned the Federal Tax Course--Level II was held in Indianapolis. Mr. Boyle noted that upcoming programs include an International Tax Planning Seminar on September 21-22 in Chicago and Financial Accounting for Tax Executives in Las Vegas on November 18-19.

"We are also looking forward to celebrating TEI's 60th anniversary during our Annual Conference in New Orleans," he said. He noted that keynote speakers for the October program will include Acting Assistant Treasury Secretary Gregory Jenner, SEC Chief Accountant Donald Nicolaisen, IRS Chief Counsel Donald Korb, and LMSB Commissioner Deborah Nolan.

Additional details about these programs may be found on TEI's website, www.tel.org.