Professional committee service - a win-win strategy.

• Author: Purcell, Thomas J., III

Tax faculty struggle daily to keep with the constantly changing system. Interpretations about unsettled areas of the law are tested daily by taxpayers and the IRS in administrative pronouncements and judicial decisions. Congress regularly (sometimes frequently) changes the Code, by enacting legislation that ranges from minor corrections to major shifts in thinking. Policy analysts develop evidence to support tax policy alternatives or repudiate them.

Keeping current is not a luxury, but a professional imperative. A regular reading program is a major strategy for keeping up-to-date. Presenting and attending continuing education seminars is another approach. Some faculty maintain practices, either for their own clients or as consultants to firms. Fellowships at professional firms, government agencies, legislative committees or professional organizations help academics to reconnect to the active profession. Volunteer service on professional organization tax committees, while often overlooked, is an excellent way to keep abreast of the changing landscape.

The Value of Professional Service

The various state CPA societies and national professional bodies have technical committees that focus on tax issues. Some state groups may have a single committee that addresses all tax-related issues--Federal, state and local. Larger state societies may have multiple technical committees that focus on subsets of Federal and state tax issues. National organizations, such as the AICPA, American Taxation Association and American Bar Association, also have multiple tax-oriented committees. All these groups, however small or large, seek volunteers from a variety of constituencies to ensure their committee work is representative and contains multiple viewpoints. Service on these groups offers participants the unique opportunity to engage in discussion and understanding of complex, technical and cutting-edge tax issues.

It also enables academics to interact with practitioners, which can help bring currency to the classroom and generate ideas for research projects and papers. Service in professional organizations also enables professors to (1) share that experience with students, (2) better encourage them to get involved and (3) explain the benefits to them, the tax law and their future careers. Finally, such volunteer work can help satisfy service requirements for tenure and promotion, and enrich academics' work.

Participant Roles

Tax Section: The AICPA Tax Section...