Tax section's strategic plan.

The Tax Section's mission is to serve the public interest by assisting AICPA members to be the most trusted professional providers of tax services, and by advocating sound tax policy and effective tax administration.

To serve the public interest effectively, the TEC has identified three strategic initiatives:

1. Create sound tax policy and effective tax administration;

2. Help AICPA members retain the public's trust, by following the highest ethical standards of tax practice; and

3. Help AICPA members provide the highest quality professional tax services.

In representing AICPA members' interests, the TEC, on behalf of the Tax Section, must respond to each of these issues, not focus on just one area of concern. As the exhibit on p. 675 illustrates, these three issues form an integrated response by the Tax Section to its responsibility to serve the public interest.

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The TEC and the Strategic Planning Committee have debated long and hard about the best ways to serve members, accomplish this mission and address the initiatives described above. They have identified eight strategic goals that will help accomplish this mission:

* Tax policy advocacy: (1) be a leading source of objective, authoritative and comprehensive advice on tax policy and administration for the government and other stakeholders.

* Professional ethics and integrity: (2) enhance respect for the profession through consistent communications with members and the public; (3) assist members in being the most trusted tax advisers, by developing, maintaining and facilitating enforcement of the highest ethical standards; and (4) ensure that members are aware of their responsibility to adhere to professional standards.

* Service to members: (5) increase the value of Tax Section membership; (6) promote CPAs as the leading professional providers of tax services; (7) significantly increase the number of Tax Section members over the next five years; and (8) attract the brightest and best individuals to the tax profession, with an emphasis on diversity.

These are ambitious goals, but the TEC thinks they reflect the current state of tax practice and, more importantly, what section members want and need to become the most trusted providers of professional tax services. Note: There is a strong emphasis on professional ethics and integrity. This is important, especially in light of the changes that have been made to Treasury Circular 230, Regulations Governing the Practice of Attorneys, Certified Public Accountants, Enrolled Agents, Enrolled Actuaries, and Appraisers Before the Internal Revenue Service (Circular 230).

Action Plans

The TEC has considered more than 20 different action plans and strategies to accomplish these goals. They are all listed in the plan; currently, the TEC has identified six action plans as being most critical to advancing the Tax Section's mission:

1. Strengthen relationships with Washington, DC, tax policy makers.

2. Assist members in addressing emerging issues in tax practice.

3. Educate members on Circular 230 and other external standards.

4. Educate members on AICPA ethical standards.

5. Develop and maintain high ethical tax standards, to help CPAs become the most trusted tax advisers.

6. Enhance the public perception of the Tax Section's objectivity.

Over the next several months, this column will highlight the activities of the AICPA Tax Division's technical resource panels (TRPs) and task forces. These groups, made up of Tax Section member volunteers and members of the AICPA tax team, are working hard to help all CPAs serve their clients and be better tax practitioners.

Feedback

As the TEC does its work, it would like feedback. Is it on the right track? What more can it do? Its goal is to make the Tax Section an effective tool for all members. The TEC would like members to let it know if this is being accomplished. Listed below are the names and e-mail addresses of the TEC members, as well as the senior members of the AICPA tax team.

TEC Members

* Alan Einhorn, [e-mail]

* Andy Mattson, [e-mail]

* Carol E. Zurcher, [e-mail]

* Chris Muirhead, [e-mail]

* Dean A. Jorgensen, [e-mail]

* Diane D. Fuller, [e-mail]

* Evelyn Capassakis, [e-mail]

* James W. Sansone, [e-mail]

* Janice M. Johnson, [e-mail]

* Jeffrey Hoops, [e-mail]

* Joseph Scutellaro, [e-mail]

* Kenneth Orbach, [e-mail]

* Mark Van Deveer, [e-mail]

* Norm Solomon, [e-mail]

* Patricia Thompson, [e-mail]

* Roby Sawyers, [e-mail]

* Stephen R. Corrick, [e-mail]

* Thomas J. Purcell III, [e-mail]

AICPA Tax Team

* Thomas Ochsenschlager, Vice President--Taxation, [e-mail]

* Edward Karl, Director, [e-mail]

* William Stromsem, Director, [e-mail]

Next Column

Many Tax Section members recently completed the 2006 Tax Section Member Survey. The next column, in the February 2007 issue, will share and discuss some of the results.

Chair's note: In October 2006, I began a two-year term as the Chair of the AICPA's Tax Executive Committee (TEC). I am excited about the opportunity to serve as Chair and take this responsibility very seriously. The TEC's principal goal is to help Tax Section members be better tax practitioners. Its 22,000-plus members range from sole practitioners, to members of large international accounting firms, to members in private industry and academia. To that end, the TEC has adopted a strategic plan for the Tax Section that guides all of its actions and decisions. This plan was recently reviewed and updated. I would like to share some of its highlights.

Get Involved!

As a senior technical committee of the AICPA, the TEC is authorized to speak for the AICPA on tax matters, and is also designated by governing Council as a standard-setting body. However, numerous other committees, TRPs and task forces initiate and develop proposed solutions to policy issues and technical and tax administration problems, for consideration and approval by the TEC. They also initiate proposals for valuable products and services for members in tax practice, and administer the AICPA's tax ethics program (i.e., Statements on Standards for Tax Services).

Through its various task forces, TRPs and committees, the TEC continues to monitor numerous projects. The Tax Division is committed to providing the best service possible to AICPA members. Leadership and membership appointments for committees and TRPs for the current committee year, which started October 2006, have been completed. However, members who would like to volunteer to assist in Tax Division activities should contact Ed Karl at [phone] or [e-mail]. Members having suggestions for new services or products should contact Bill Stromsem at [phone] or [e-mail].

Editor and Author:

Jeffrey R. Hoops, CPA 

Partner

Ernst & Young LLP 

New York, NY

Mr. Hoops is Chair of the AICPA Tax Division's Tax Executive Committee. DC Currents heightens awareness of the Tax Division's activities and apprises readers of tax policy, technical issues and other practice support matters.