The IRS has named the selection of five new members to the Internal Revenue Service Advisory Council and a new chair for the council, as well as seven new members for its Information Reporting Program Advisory Committee.
IRSAC provides an organized public forum for IRS officials and representatives of the public to discuss key tax administration issues, with members representing the taxpaying public, tax professionals, small and large businesses, academia and the payroll community.
IRSAC members generally serve three-year terms; the five new members join 16 returning members. Appointed to serve beginning this year are:
Kathy Hettick, owner of Hettick Accounting & Tax in Enumclaw, Wash., where she has provided accounting and tax services to small businesses and individuals for almost 30 years. She has held numerous leadership roles at the local, state and national levels of organizations, including the National Society of Accountants, the National Association of Enrolled Agents, the Washington Association of Accountants and the Washington Association of EAs. Phyllis Jo Kubey, owner of Phyllis Jo Kubey, EA, CFP, ATA, ATP, Tax Preparation & Consultation in New York. She is a member-at-large of the board of the New York State Society of EAs, and serves on its membership, government relations and IRS Continuing Education Reporting committees. She is also NYSSEA’s liaison to the New York State Department of Taxation. Sheldon Kay, attorney and partner for Crowe Horwath in Atlanta, where he coordinates the Washington National Tax Office. He has served with the IRS as district counsel in Georgia and routinely litigated cases in Tax Court. He has also served the IRS as the chief and deputy chief in appeals. Sharyn Fisk, assistant professor of accounting at California State Polytechnic University-Pomona, where she specializes in taxation. She is the current chair of the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Executive Committee, Taxation Section. Charles “Sandy” Macfarlane, vice presiddent and general tax counsel for Chevron Corp. in San Ramon, Calif., where he oversees worldwide tax affairs for Chevron and its subsidiaries. He has served as chair of the Tax Legislative Committee for the American Petroleum Institute and is the immediate past international president of the Tax Executives Institute. The 2017 IRSAC chairman is Timothy McCormally, director in the Washington National Tax practice of KPMG. He has 40 years of experience as a tax attorney and spent 30 years on the staff of Tax Executives Institute. He has also participated in the institute’s advocacy program.
The IRPAC provides a public forum for discussion of tax information reporting issues between IRS officials and representatives of the public. The following individuals will join 13 returning members and have been appointed to serve on the committee for three-year terms beginning in 2017:
Randall Cathell, tax director-international at Crowe Horwath in Plantation, Fla., where he heads the firm’s international section and focuses on subchapter C corps and partnerships, in addition to foreign nationals with U.S. investments. Lisa Allen, vice president of regulatory affairs for Relph Benefit Advisors, Fairport, N.Y., where manages regulatory updates and provides clients with counsel regarding the ACA. Tenesha Carter, EA and senior vice president of tax preparation services for the State Employees Credit Union, in Raleigh, N.C., supervises and coordinates tax preparation programs for the credit union. Ryan Lovin, associate counsel with Global Tax Advisors, in Malvern, Pa., has worked for the Investment Company Institute in Washington, D.C. James Paille, director of operations for Thomson Reuters in Ann Arbor, Mich, has been an executive manager in the payroll service industry for over 30 years. He is with myPay Solutions, the payroll division of Thomson Reuters, and president of the American Payroll Association board of directors. Thomas Prevost, managing director and FATCA responsibility officer for Credit Suisse, in Holmdel, N.J., where he oversees FATCA advisory and the compliance, including IRS certifications for Credit Suisse globally. Prevost served 10 years as the International Swaps and Derivatives Association North American Tax Chair and is a Securities Industry and Finance Markets Association Tax Compliance Group member. Clark Sells, senior product manager for Sovos-Convey Compliance in Plymouth, Minn., where he manages emerging compliance platforms, including the launch of new tax reporting systems. He also serves as a company liaison with federal and state government agencies.
Jeff Stimpson is a veteran freelance journalist who previously served as editor of The Practical Accountant.