The Internal Revenue Service will host a series of six Tax Forums this summer to help educate and serve the tax practitioner community. The three-day Forums are offered in July, August and September.
Attendance at the Forums, now in their 14th year, has grown steadily. Almost 17,000 tax professionals attended the Forums in 2003, an increase of about 2,000 from the year before.
The agenda for the 2004 Forums includes seminars on the new IRS e-Services program, retirement plans for small businesses, abusive tax avoidance transactions, the proposed revisions to IRS guidance on ethics and professional responsibility, privacy, faster account resolution, tax law changes and compliance initiatives, among others. The Forums will also continue the popular workshops "Applying for Tax-Exempt Status" and "How to Become an Enrolled Agent." In addition, practitioners will have an opportunity at each Forum to bring their toughest unresolved case or question to IRS representatives for on-site resolution. IRS employees will also be on hand at each Forum to assist interested tax professionals in completing an application to participate in the IRS electronic return filing program.
The Forums feature a variety of basic and advanced seminars designed to provide the tax professional community with the latest and most complete information on a variety of IRS programs, practices and policies. In addition to receiving updates directly from top IRS executives, the Forums provide practitioners with an opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with other practitioners and to view vendor exhibits to learn about the latest business technologies.
The National Association of Enrolled Agents, the National Association of Tax Professionals, the National Society of Accountants and the National Society of Tax Professionals will present seminars at the upcoming Forums. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants is also participating in the Forums this year.
The dates and locations of this year's six Forums are:
- July 6-8 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
- July 20-22 in Orlando, Florida.
- August 3-5 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
- August 17-19 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
- August 31-September 2 in San Antonio, Texas.
- September 14-16 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Enrolled agents can earn up to 22 continuing professional education credits at each Forum. Other professional groups should consult their prospective licensing group regarding qualifying credits.
The fees for this year's Tax Forums are $99 per person per city for pre-registration and $200 for late or on-site registration. Pre-registration ends three weeks before the start of each Forum (for Atlantic City, it ends two weeks before). Attendees can now register online.
For additional information or to register, visit the Tax Professionals page on the IRS Web site at www.irs.gov, call TerraCom, Inc., at 202-965-5169 or visit its Web site at www.taxforuminfo.com. Prospective attendees should register early to be sure of reserving hotel accommodations and space at special events.