TEI urges swift confirmation of Eric Solomon as Assistant Treasury Secretary.

Tax Executives Institute has endorsed the nomination of Eric Solomon to serve as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Tax Policy. On May 12, 2006, TEI wrote to the Senate Finance Committee to express its unqualified support for the President's nomination of Mr. Solomon. "During his nearly seven years of service with the Treasury Department," TEI President Mike Boyle said in the letter, "Mr. Solomon has proven to be an extremely capable and diligent public administrator, as well as a forceful advocate for effective tax policy." Noting that the position has been open since December 2003, the organization called it "critical" to the development of effective tax policy and administration to fill the slot as quickly as possible.

As president of Tax Executives Institute, I am writing to convey TEI's unqualified support for the confirmation of Eric Solomon as Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy in the U.S. Department of Treasury. During his nearly seven years of service with the Treasury Department, Mr. Solomon has proven to be an extremely capable and diligent public administrator, as well as a forceful advocate for effective tax policy. This position--which has been open since December 2003--is critical to development of effective tax policy and administration, and we urge the Committee on Finance and the full Senate to fill it as quickly as possible.

Tax Executives Institute is the preeminent association of in-house tax professionals, with more than 6,000 members from the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia. TEI is dedicated to the development and effective implementation of sound tax policy, to promoting the uniform and equitable enforcement of the tax laws, and to reducing the costs and burdens of administration and compliance on both taxpayers and the government.

Since December 2004, Mr. Solomon has served as Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Regulatory Affairs, as well as sharing the duties of the Assistant Secretary position. TEI has been privileged to work with him on several projects during his tenure, including guidance on the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004, implementation of the IRS Schedule M-3 for reporting book-tax differences, and numerous regulatory projects. Not all of our recommendations have been adopted, but Mr. Solomon and his colleagues have listened thoughtfully to our concerns and worked hard to make the tax law more administrable. In addition, Mr. Solomon has taken seriously his role as a representative of the Treasury Department, speaking at numerous TEI meetings.

Mr. Solomon's service with the Department of the Treasury, combined with his service at the Internal Revenue Service in the mid-1990's and his extensive private sector experience, make him an ideal selection for this position. TEI urges his swift confirmation.

If you need additional information, please contact TEI's Executive Director Timothy J. McCormally, at [phone]; [e-mail].