TEI renews affinity agreement with RIA: members remain eligible for significant discounts and other benefits.

Tax Executives Institute (TEI), a professional organization of more than 5,200 corporate tax professionals, has chosen RIA Information/Online to be its exclusive affinity partner for tax information products through 2005. A professional publisher and information provider, RIA Information/Online includes such familiar companies as RIA and Warren, Gorham & Lamont. The relationship also extends to products from Carswell, Canada's leader in tax information and, along with RIA, a subsidiary of Thomson Corporation.

"Long before it became TEI's affinity partner for tax research in 1996, RIA demonstrated its ability to provide tax executives with the timely, accurate, authoritative, and cost-effective information that is essential to TEI members' in serving their companies," explained J.A. (Drew) Glennie, the Institute's International President, who is also General Manager-Tax and Insurance for Shell Canada Limited in Calgary. "The firm's commitment to addressing the corporate market's needs remains second to none. In the electronic arena, in particular, RIA has established itself as an industry leader with Checkpoint. These factors contributed to TEI's deciding to extend and expand its affinity relationship with RIA."

Elaborated Timothy J. McCormally, TEI's Executive Director, "The RIA-TEI affinity relationship benefits the Institute's members in at least three materials way. First, RIA affords TEI members significant discount on the full range of RIA products, including the Web-based Checkpoint information service and the unparalleled Warren, Gorham & Lamont series of tax treatises and journals. Secondly, the relationship affords TEI members the opportunity to provide RIA with input on evolving corporate tax needs and how RIA can adapt and enhance its products to satisfy those needs. And finally, RIA's financial support enables the Institute to engage in a full complement of educational, networking, and advocacy programs and, hence, helps the Institute pursue its vision of being the preeminent association of business tax professionals."

Mr. Glennie agreed: "TEI's affinity relationship with RIA complements the Institute's other programs, including our networking opportunities, information exchanges, top-notch educational programs, and effective advocacy on a broad range of administrative and legislative issues. The key to the affinity relationship's success, however, has always been and will continue to be the overall quality of RIA's products."

RIA similarly links the success of the affinity agreement to the firm's products. "The renewal of the affinity agreement between TEI and RIA is a high honor and a great fit," according to Mark Schlageter, General Manager of RIA Information/Online. Steve Zelman, Senior Vice President, RIA Information/Online, added: "It is also at once both a challenge and an opportunity. RIA is dedicated to providing TEI members and our other customers with superior content and top-rated Web-based solutions delivered on the best technology platforms. For this reason, we are delighted to extend and expand our relationship with TEI."

Under the affinity agreement, TEI members are eligible for 10-percent (new) and 5-percent (renewal) purchase discounts on all tax information products and services marketed under the RIA branded lines (RIA and Warren, Gorham & Lamont) as well as Carswell branded lines in CD-ROM, Web-based, and print formats. The affinity discounts for TEI members are over and above most other discounts and promotions offered by RIA to its customers on a regular and routine basis. The agreement also provides for RIA to provide TEI members with discounts on publications such as Internal Revenue Code, Federal Tax Regulations, and Federal Tax Handbook in the United States and Carswell's Practitioner's Income Tax Act, Stikeman's Income Tax Act, Practitioner's GST Annotated, and Practitioner's Ontario Taxes Annotated in Canada.

Finally, TEI has agreed to facilitate and support the operation of RIA user groups and advisory boards designed to identify the tax-information needs of corporate tax professionals and help improve RIA's products.

TEI members with questions about the RIA discount program under the affinity agreement should contact their field sales force agent or call RIA at 1.800.431.9025. Canadian members should contact their local Carswell representatives.