Message from the Chair

• Publication year: 2018
• Author: By Patrick W. Martin

Message from the Chair

By Patrick W. Martin

I hope your summer and fall has been a personal and professional success.

The Tax Section has been serving tax professionals for decades in the most populous state, with members throughout the U.S. and even some residing in foreign countries. It goes without saying, that tax attorneys serve an important role, along with other tax professionals, in the administration of the tax system, including accurately applying the law to a taxpayer's particular situation on, among other things, how the law is interpreted and applied by government officials (e.g., how "willfulness" is determined in an FBAR investigation).

We have made a special outreach this year to connect the tax lawyer community to other tax professionals, particularly certified public accountants, and other tax return preparers such as enrolled agents. There will be an increased focus in tax education courses provided by the Tax Section. There is a specific arrangement with the CalCPAs to facilitate these efforts. Our goal is to improve the level of understanding of what has become an ever complex endeavor; particularly after the "TCJA".

Next, the California Tax Bar will hold its annual tax meeting (Tax Annual Meeting and Tax Policy Conference) this year in San Jose on November 7-9, 2018. It's an exceptional forum for learning about taxation in all its forms. Hundreds of tax professionals, government tax attorneys and auditors, along with a number of accomplished judges and academics, meet annually for this conference. It has been operating for decades and we look forward to seeing you this year in Northern California.

I want to close by highlighting a tax professional who was truly remarkable and had an everlasting impact on the Tax Bar—Joanne M...