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The IFA Romania Branch has organized a press conference on May 16 2008, for the opening of IFA Romania Branch. Dr. Marcus Desax, IFA President, will attend.

Also, on May 15, 2008 The Body of Expert and Licensed Accountants of Romania will organize an International Tax Conference on "The Process of Simplification in European Taxation: Challenges and Opportunities". The draft program of the conference can be downloaded at the IFA Romania website.

Both events will take place in Bucharest, Romania at the Hilton Hotel.

The draft program of the opening can be downloaded at the IFA Romania website.

For more information on attending this event please contact the IFA Romania branch at ifaromania@ifaromania.ro, phone +40318241540.

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Barry Quirke of McDermott, Will & Emery LLP has been appointed as the new Regional Vice President of the Midwest (Chicago) Region.

Marc Swanson of KPMG LLP Charlotte NC has been appointed as the new Regional Vice President of the Carolinas Region.

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Reflections and Acknowledgements;

2008 “State of the IFA USA Branch”

(Presented by Steven Hannes on February 29, 2008 at IFA USA Branch National Conference)

In 2004, when elected to become the Executive Vice President of the USA Branch of IFA, and then to become the President of the Branch from 2006 to 2008, I had some general ideas and goals for this already quite successful USA Branch of IFA. As it turned out, and as so often happens in life, other Branch opportunities and issues that were not apparent in 2004 came up during my tenure as President. Read more

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The by-laws have been the subject of several discussions in the Executive Committee ("EC"), which concluded that the by-laws need to be revised in order to modernize them. Among other things, the proposed revisions to the by-laws will achieve the following objectives: facilitating the EC’s ability to make operational decisions (and limiting the circumstances in which more mundane issues have to be taken by the EC to the General Membership, which meets only once a year); recognizing the Council as a group of USA Branch members to be consulted by the EC and to be honored by the USA Branch of IFA rather than as a group that must make governance decisions; expanding the number of people who can be on Council; allowing the EC to have both voting members and honorary (non-voting) members; and eliminating the requirement of signed references for persons applying to be new members of the USA Branch of IFA.

In accordance with Article IX of the current by-laws, the proposed revisions to the by-laws will come before the meeting of the General Membership on Friday, February 29, 2008.

Click here to review the proposed new bylaws

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The International Fiscal Association (USA Branch) is pleased to announce the winner of the IFA USA Branch 2007 Writing Competition is David Pozen, for his excellent paper, "Tax Expenditures as Foreign Aid". Mr. Pozen is currently based in Washington, where he is a fellow (Yale Law School Heyman Federal Public Service Fellowship) for the 2007-2008 academic year serving on Senator Kennedy's Judiciary Committee staff as "Special Assistant to Senator Kennedy".

Mr. Pozen's paper will be published: Florida Tax Review (8 Fla. Tax Rev. 641 (2007)).

The IFA USA Branch Annual Writing Competition is open to all students pursuing a U.S. graduate degree with a tax focus during the current academic year. Submissions may be on any topic relating to United States taxation of income from international activities, including taxation under U.S. tax treaties.

The winning entrant is presented with a cash prize at the IFA USA Branch Annual Meeting.

Submission Deadline is October 1st each year. For more information please send an email to Prof. Allison Christians, achristians@wisc.edu or Prof. Skip Patton, profpat@bu.edu

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Sam Maruca of Miller & Chevalier Chartered has been appointed as the new Regional Vice President of the District of Columbia Region.

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