Schedule of Events: Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018
Registration and Continental Breakfast
Tax Controversy: IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998: Measuring Its Success and Predicting the Future of Tax Administration Reform Efforts
Dean and Professor of Law.
University of Kansas School of Law. Lawrence, KS
Description: it has been 20 years since Congress passed the 1998 IRS Reform Act, which sought to modernize the IRS and institute new taxpayer rights. Some of the taxpayer rights had a positive effect on the landscape of tax administration while others proved unhelpful to taxpayers. This session will examine the legacy of the Act, provide an update on many of its provisions, and predict future reform efforts.
Biography: Stephen Mazza joined the KU Law faculty in 1998 and was named dean in April 2011. An honors graduate of the University of Alabama School of Law, he received his LL.M. from New York University School of Law where he was managing editor of the Tax Law Review. After practicing in the tax section of a large Atlanta law firm, he returned to NYU as an acting assistant professor teaching in the LL.M. tax program. Professor Mazza has expanded the number of tax offerings at KU, teaching separate courses in Taxation of Mergers and Acquisitions, Tax Procedure and Tax Policy. He also coordinates the law schools tax certificate program and VITA program. Professor Mazza is an active member of the tax section of the Kansas Bar Association and a frequent speaker on tax issues.
Hot Topics for Partnerships under the TCJA and BBA
CliftonLarsonAllen LLP
Los Angeles, CA
Description: the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and the partnership audit rules under the Bipartisan Budget Act have made numerous changes to the taxation of partnerships. This session will discuss the implications and strategies to consider.
Biography: Kate is a principal in the national tax office of CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, where she is head of partnership tax. She previously was a member of the partnership national tax office of EY, and practiced law with Irell & Manella LLP.
10:40 a.m. Refreshment Break
State & Local Taxation in the Digital Age
Gilmore & Bell, P.C. Kansas City, MO
Description: The past thirty years have seen a revolution in the way businesses are organized and deliver goods and services. Recently the Supreme Court issued two important decisions under the Commerce Clause that both limit and expand the ability of State and local governments to tax interstate and international commercial transactions. This presentation examines the impact of Maryland v. Wynne and South Dakota v. Wayfair on the taxation of commercial transactions conducted through the internet by a telecommuting workforce.
Biography: Marc McCarty is a shareholder in Gilmore & Bell, P.C., a public finance law firm. He assists State and local governments and nonprofit organizations structure and fund infrastructure and economic development projects using Federal, State and local tax incentives. Since 2009 he has taught State and Local Taxation at UMKC Law School. Marc is a graduate of Westminster College; the University of Missouri-Columbia Law School and Georgetown University Law School.
LUNCHEON (included in registration fee)
12:45 p.m. Corporate Transactions in a Post-TCJA Environment
Lisa Zarlenga
Steptoe & Johnson LLP.
Washington, D.C.
Description: this session will explore some of the ways in which the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act changed the calculus for many corporate transactions, including the impact of rate changes, new bonus depreciation and NOL rules, and the limitations on interest deductions. This session will also touch on other recent administrative and judicial developments in corporate tax.
Biography: Lisa Zarlenga represents public and private companies on a wide range of corporate transactional and tax policy issues. She advises clients on structuring tax-free and taxable acquisitions and dispositions, tax-free spin-offs, and internal restructurings, including the special rules governing consolidated groups. Lisa also advises clients on tax policy issues before the Treasury Department and IRS involving regulations and other administrative guidance, and before Congress involving legislation. Lisa previously served as Tax Legislative Counsel at the US Treasury Department’s Office of Tax Policy, where she advised Treasury’s Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy on a broad range of domestic tax policy issues, oversaw preparation of regulations and other administrative guidance, and oversaw the office's preparation of the president's revenue proposals for the annual budget.
U.S. International Tax Reform: Through the Looking Glass
Patrick A. Jackman
KPMG LLP. Stamford, CT
Description: the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) dramatically changed the U.S. international tax system. This presentation will focus on key planning aspects under this new international system, including discussing recently issued technical guidance applicable to GILTI, FDII, BEAT and the Transition Tax.
Biography: Pat is an International Tax Partner in KPMG’s Washington National Tax Practice, based in the New York Metro area. He has over 25 years of experience advising clients on a broad array of U.S. international tax matters, with a special focus on cross border M&A. Previously, Pat has been an in-house head of international tax planning and an international tax partner with a major NY law firm. In these prior positions, Pat has focused on various aspects of international tax planning, including optimizing tax-efficiency of foreign and cross-border operations, investments/acquisitions and funding.
Pat is the co-author of a leading International M&A tax treatise, “U.S. Taxation of International Mergers, Acquisitions, and Joint Ventures,” and has published articles in Journal of International Tax, International Tax Journal, and Tax Notes International. He has presented at the GWU/IRS Conference on International Taxation, the Canadian Tax Foundation, IFA, TEI, International Tax Institute, Atlas, and CITE. Pat holds a JD degree from the University of Virginia Law School and a BA degree in economics from Haverford College.
2:55 p.m. Refreshment Break
Important Benefits and Compensation Changes in the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act
David Cowart
Dentons US LLP. Dallas, TX
Description: Tax reform only brushed by the world of compensation and benefits, but its glancing touch still made important changes, too many for a single presentation. From the vantage point of almost a year later, learn about selected benefits changes that have been more pervasive or immediate or have been the subject of 2018 guidance.
Biography: David is a member of Dentons’ Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Practice Group. He is nationally known in his field and specializes in retirement plans; health and welfare plans; ERISA litigation; deferred, equity and executive compensation; and related merger and acquisition work. He serves frequently as a speaker, teacher and expert nationally, is a member of the American Law Institute, the American College of Tax Counsel, the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel and the College of the State Bar of Texas, and has organized and led practitioner forums with the IRS and Department of Labor in Dallas and with the IRS in
Washington, D.C. Since 1988, he has been involved in creating and expanding the EPCRS program at the IRS. David chaired the ABA Joint Committee on Employee Benefits and its Tax Section's Employee Benefits Committee and spearheaded developing and expanding the ABA’s ERISA CLE efforts. He was the first chairman of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel. He is also a Certified Public Accountant. David has been on the editorial board of prominent professional publications and has published in various journals, including Tax Management Compensation Planning Journal, and NYU Review of Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation. He has been listed in “Best Lawyers in America” for over 20 years and is recognized by his peers as a “Texas Super Lawyer” and as one of the “Best Lawyers in Dallas. ” He is a graduate of the New York University School of Law, L.L.M., 1979; the University of Mississippi, J.D., with honors, 1977; and the University of Mississippi, B.B.A., with special distinction, 1975. David is married to a fellow attorney, Greta, and as of mid-2018, has three engaging children and four adorable grandchildren.
Adjourn and Networking Reception
Schedule of Events: Friday, Nov. 2, 2018
8:00 a.m. Registration and breakfast
ETHICS PRESENTATION: Professional Ethics &Liability Risks and Responses in Tax Practice [2.0 hours]
John H. Sykes College of Business
The University of Tampa. Tampa, Florida
Description: Tax Practitioners face exposures in complying with ethical responsibilities while safeguarding their practices from allegations of professional liability. This session explores both the trends in exposures as well as the responses to those risks.
Biography: Steve Platau is a Professor of Accounting at the University of Tampa’s John H. Sykes College of Business where he has served on the faculty since 1984 including two appointments as department chair. His teaching has been focused on tax, auditing, and financial accounting along with the legal & ethical aspects of financial transactions. He has been on the faculty of the National Judicial College teaching judges nationally since 1996. His teaching has been honored with multiple awards including Outstanding Discussion Leader and Outstanding Educator Awards from the Florida Institute of CPAs. He has presented nearly 2,000 continuing education programs in 48 states and Puerto Rico. Steve has served on the AICPA’s Joint Trial Board and is currently serving on the Florida Board of Accountancy. He also serves as defense counsel, an expert witness and as an arbitrator in professional liability disputes.
10:10 a.m. Refreshment Break
Estate Planning Update: Say No to Oops! Make sure you are on time for tax and non-tax deadlines in the trust and estate world
Hughes & Scalise, P.C. Birmingham, AL
Description: I will present selected deadlines in the tax and non-tax world that practitioners do not want to miss!
Biography: NANCY C. HUGHES has focused over 25 years of practice in the area of estate planning and taxation law, most recently with her own firm, Hughes & Scalise, P.C., in Birmingham, AL. She frequently lectures on tax matters for organizations of which she is a member, including the American Bar Association, the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, and the American Institute on Federal Taxation. Her firm work, her organizational lectures, and her presentations for the Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Tax Clinic, and numerous regional trust and tax clinics have earned her a place as one of The Best Lawyers in America.
11:25 a.m. Guidance for the New Small Business Accounting Methods Provided by Tax Reform
RSM US LLP, Washington, DC
Description: Tax reform legislation increased the number of taxpayers that qualify as small businesses under section 448. These taxpayers may be eligible to use several simplified methods of accounting, such as the overall cash method. This session will explore the gross receipts test to qualify as a small business, the potential simplified accounting methods available, and how to file accounting method changes required for implementation. This hour will also touch upon selected current developments in the accounting methods area.
Biography: Tracy Watkins is a Senior Director with the firm’s Washington National Tax Accounting Methods and Periods team. With more than 13 years of experience in public accounting, Tracy advises clients pertaining to accounting method matters, including the timing of revenue recognition and deductions, cost segregation studies, and fixed assets.
She serves as the co-vice chair for the capital recovery and leasing committee of the American Bar Association (ABA), Section of Taxation. She has presented on numerous ABA panels with members of the IRS National Office.
Prior to joining RSM, Tracy spent almost 10 years in the national tax office of a middle market accounting firm and 3 years in a practice office of that firm.
Luncheon (included in fee)
How to Advise Your Clients and Protect Yourself Against Cyber Threats
The Lanza Group. Communication Dynamics, LLC. Mission, Kansas
Description: this presentation focuses on the most current cyber threats against individuals and businesses. From account hijacking to database hacking to the crypto locker ransom scheme, Jeff educates the audience by providing real examples, the vulnerability that allowed the crime to occur and what you can do to prevent it from happening to you. There are no technical prerequisites for this program. The presentation is targeted to business employees, managers, executives and anyone interested in keeping themselves or business safe from cybercrime.
Biography: Jeff is a professional speaker who has provided over one thousand presentations on the topics of leadership integrity, crisis communication, ethics, identity theft, cyber-crime and more. Jeff was head of operations security for the Kansas City FBI and a graduate of the world renowned John E. Reid School of Interviewing and Interrogation. He is a certified FBI instructor and has trained numerous government agencies and corporate clients on how to handle the media tricks that the national television personalities such as Connie Chung and Chris Hansen used on him during his near two decades as a crisis communicator with the FBI. Prior to his career as an FBI agent, Jeff was employed by Xerox Corporation as a Computer Systems Analyst. He has an undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice from the University of New Haven (Connecticut) and a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the University of Texas.
INDIVIDUAL TAX UPDATE – PART 1
T.M. Byxbee Company, P.C. Hamden, CT
Description: Discussion of many individual related tax changes associated with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and particularly the Section 199A 20% deduction.
Biography: Mike is an employee of Surgent McCoy CPE, LLC and a consultant for the accounting firm of T.M. Byxbee Co. in Hamden, CT. He is the author of many professional articles and a veteran TV and live-seminar presenter. In addition, he heads up Surgent McCoy's webinar efforts, where he writes and hosts many of the webinars Surgent McCoy sponsors and presents.
Refreshment Break
INDIVIDUAL TAX UPDATE – PART 2
T.M. Byxbee Company, P.C. Hamden, CT