Excitement in Boston building to October's fevered pitch for ... TEI's 63rd Annual Conference.

• Position: Tax Executives Institute

Can a city be more frenetic than Boston in October during a chase for baseball's world championship? The energy and enthusiasm are infectious for fans, non fans, and even diehard Yankee fans. So, too, tax executives from around the globe can catch the fever when they convene at the Westin Copley Plaza in Boston, Massachusetts, from October 19-22, 2008, for the Institute's 63rd Annual Conference.

As important, the political ferment and intellectual debate around tax policy and administrative matters in Massachusetts, the United States, and globally have arguably never been more feverish than when the phrase "no taxation without representation" was coined by the Reverend Jonathan Mayhew in a sermon in Boston in 1750 and subsequently burnished into history.

"Returning TEI's conference to a city steeped in the rich history of Boston on the eve of a U.S. presidential election," TEI's 2008-2009 President Vincent Alicandri said, "affords an opportunity to reflect on connections between past, present, and future, including taxes. Although no tea will be tossed into Boston harbor, governments are keenly aware of the global implications of their tax policies and administrative practices and are revolutionizing their approaches--to ensure 'competitiveness' in the 21st century."

"Boston is an outstanding site to stay abreast of those developments and advance the Institute's mission of educating members, networking, and improving tax administration," Mr. Alicandri concluded.

Conference Overview

The challenges confronting tax executives are as diverse and sharp as ever. From an opening ethics session on "Exposure of the Global Tax Professional in the Twenty-First Century" to programs on technical tax issues, management conundrums, U.S. and international financial reporting standards, TEI's Continuing Education Committee has assembled a rich and compelling array of educational sessions. The program brochure has been mailed to all TEI members and is available at www.tei.org.

Among the government officials Mr. Alicandri will welcome to the conference are U.S. Treasury Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy Eric Solomon, who will address the current legislative and administrative policy landscape; IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman; the Acting Chair of H.M. Revenue & Customs Dave Hartnett, who will discuss corporate transparency and governance; and the Head of the Tax Treaty and Transfer Pricing Division of the OECD's Centre for Tax Policy and Administration Mary...