400 more reasons to join TEI: TEI board adopts membership incentive.

• Position: Recent Activities

For the first time in its history, Tax Executive Institute has reduced its dues and waived its initiation fee. From now until June 30, 2006, qualifying tax executives can purchase a paid-up membership in the pre-eminent association of business tax professionals in the world through June 30, 2007, for only $100. Normally, first-time members would pay $300 to join for the remainder of 2005-2006, and then pay $200 in dues for 2006-2007. Thus, this special incentive program saves new members $400!

One hundred dollars is an incredibly low price for the networking, education, and advocacy that comes with membership in TEI. Indeed, since registration fees for non-members at all TEI educational programs are usually $100 more than the member fee, joining will pay for itself after just one meeting. What's more, if a tax executive is already planning on attending the Institute's 2006 Midyear Conference in Washington (or our Annual Conference next fall in Scottsdale), he or she will receive a double return by combining the membership incentive with the $200 discount provided to members attending their first conference.

Why is TEI doing this? In announcing the membership incentive, TEI President Michael Boyle explained:

"Sometimes when a store has a sale, it's a sign of lagging sales or other trouble. That's absolutely not the case here. TEI's membership has never been higher, even though companies remain under pressure to cut staff and costs. In North America, Europe, and Asia, our meetings are drawing strong crowds and garnering excellent ratings, as they have for more than 60 years. And our financial condition is amazingly solid.

"No, the Board of Directors decided to act not out of weakness, but strength. We want to reach out to smaller or mid-size companies that have never...