Graduate Tax Program Hosts Inaugural State and Local Tax Forum
On Thursday, June 1, the Villanova University Graduate Tax Program held its first annual State and Local Tax (SALT) Forum at Villanova Law. The event, entitled “The Struggles of Applying Traditional Tax Laws to Today’s Digital Economy,” examined a wide range of relevant tax subjects, including policy, practice, procedural and technical issues.
Mark C. Alexander, the Arthur J. Kania Dean, opened the forum by welcoming attendees. The day-long program included five panels featuring state and local tax leaders and Graduate Tax Program faculty, as well as a keynote address. Panels included: Digital Economy Controversies, Deciphering Taxation of Cloud Computing, Sourcing Receipts from the Sale of Intangibles, Legislative Obstacles to Keeping Pace with Business and Judicial Barriers to Applying Traditional Laws to New Business.
Nancy Prosser, general counsel at the Multistate Tax Commission, served as the keynote speaker. In a “fireside chat” discussion with Michael Semes '90 JD, professor of practice and Of Counsel at Baker Hostetler LLP, Prosser discussed her career, her current role and other topics related to the tax field.
“Often times I am the only one in the room representing the administrative side of tax – and that is okay,” said Prosser. “At the commission, our goal is to advocate for the safe sovereignty over tax policy and administration, so even after 30 years of being on the administrative side, I enjoy the dialogue at events like this.”
Prosser also touched on the importance of continued tax education, noting, “it’s that education piece that we on the tax administration side view as an integral way to make progress in the profession.”
Her remarks resonated with forum attendees.
“I really enjoyed how open and willing she was to talk about the topics and complexities that the commission faces,” said Noah Tkach, a senior tax analyst at PPL Corporation who is also a current Graduate Tax Program student. “Getting to hear her perspective on certain issues was very helpful to me as an emerging tax professional.”
Andrew Woodman, director of tax planning, policy and transaction review at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, also found the forum to be insightful and relevant.
“Law schools hold a unique common ground between practitioners and government officials – forums like this one offer an opportunity for all parties to feel comfortable discussing areas that they recognize for improvement,” he said. “The forum’s balance of panelists between different types of stakeholders made for very interesting discussions and insight into how we can meet in the middle to move SALT forward.”
Stephen Olsen '07 JD, '09 LLM, faculty director and associate professor of practice, said that these types of takeaways are why his team developed the event.
“The inaugural SALT Forum presented an excellent opportunity for industry professionals to stay engaged with ever-changing tax subjects, issues and also showcase the Graduate Tax Program here at Villanova,” he explained. “We are committed to advancing the profession, and this new forum is one example of that commitment.”
To learn more about the Graduate Tax Program, visit gradtax.villanova.edu.