Popularity and profile of telephone seminars increasing.

• Position: Continuing Education Update

Nearly 150 registrants participated in a November 21 telephone seminar on the temporary and proposed tax shelter disclosure regulations issued by the government in October. (Based on a post-seminar survey, more than 550 people listened to the call.) Deputy Assistant Treasury Secretary for Regulatory Affairs Eric Solomon provided an overview of the rules as well as the government's objectives in issuing the fifth round of disclosure regulations. In addition, LMSB Division Counsel (and past TEI President) Linda B. Burke provided a news-breaking update on the IRS's tax shelter settlement initiatives.

After Mr. Solomon and Ms. Burke delivered their remarks and exited the call, Gerald Kafka and Rita Cavanagh of McKee Nelson discussed the disclosure regulations and discussed how the initiatives fit with other strategic IRS thrusts against shelter activity, including the revision of the IRS policy on seeking tax accrual workpapers and the IRS's efforts to narrow the attorney-client privilege for tax return items. Dave Bernard of Kimberly-Clark Corporation, chair of TEI's IRS Administrative Affairs Committee, moderated the seminar and encouraged members to submit comments about the regulations to TEI.

Ray Rossi, chair of TEI's Continuing Education Committee, said that the strong participation during the session, coupled with the Institute's earlier telephone seminar on the Sarbanes Oxley Act, demonstrates that "value-added distance learning is no longer an optional part of TEI's continuing education program. TEI members and their staffs demand timely and low-cost training to supplement the in-person networking and educational experiences at conferences, seminars, and schools."

2003 Midyear Conference

Both Sarbanes-Oxley and LMSB developments will be high on the agenda for TEI's 53rd Midyear Conference, which will begin in Washington on Sunday, March 23. So will the President's tax legislative program, top-notch technical programs on international, Canadian, federal, and state & local topics, judicial developments, and myriad other issues of interest to tax professionals. Following up on the success of the Toronto Conference, TEI will retain a third track to the concurrent sessions, thereby giving registrants even more choices.

"Planning continues apace with a goal of making you wish you could be in two or three places at once," Mr. Rossi stated.

In addition, on Wednesday afternoon, March 26, TEI will team up with LMSB to host once again several...