2018 Tax Forum

Presenter(s):

Liz Clark, NACUBO

Andrew Grossman, The Joint Committee on Taxation

Explore the current state of play in the nation’s capital. Understand the political climate and what could lie ahead for colleges and universities.

Presenter(s):

Joseph Irvine, The Ohio State University

Edward Jennings, University of Michigan

Back by popular demand, this session will bring you up to date on all the regulatory developments affecting colleges and universities.

Presenter(s):

Liz Clark, NACUBO

Megan Schneider, NACUBO

Continue the conversation from the Legislative Update. We’ll take a deeper dive into issues that tax managers encounter with an eye to potential changes coming from Congress and the IRS.

Presenter(s):

Anne Jetmundsen, University of South Florida

Sarah Hintz, Colorado College

Karen Gries, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP

Panelists will discuss how tax reform is being addressed within their institutions and offer their solutions to common challenges such as the tracking of UBI, capturing parking expenditures subject to taxation, estimated tax payments and most importantly – how to pay for the cost associated with the new tax provisions.

Presenter(s):

Bertrand Harding, Law Offices of Bertrand M. Harding, Jr.

Benjamin Davidson, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Taking effect just 10 days after the tax reform act was signed into law, this new provision in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act requires colleges and universities to examine their employee transit pass, vanpool, and parking programs and pay a 21% tax based on their expenses. Some schools have already incurred over $1 million in tax since the bill was passed! How does the new provision work? How are campuses mitigating their exposure? Learn the answers to these questions and more.  

Presenter(s):

Zachary Whitesel, DePauw University

Laura Benner, Georgetown University

Rachel Spurlock, Crowe LLP

Staying on top of legislation and regulation regarding tax policy is vital to managing a college or university's risk. During this session, we will examine common (and uncommon) policies that may impact tax reporting for your
institution.  Including, policies and procedures for accounting and reporting for athletic apparel, companion travel,
athletic tickets, housing benefits, automobiles, and worker classification.

Presenter(s):

Neelu Mehrotra, Ernst & Young LLP

Anshu Tiku, Stanford University

Many institutions may be impacted by the international provisions of TCJA and not realize it; perhaps from investments or how foreign affiliate entities are structured or funded. This session will cover the toll charge, global
intangible low-taxed income (GILTI), base erosion and anti-abuse tax (BEAT), foreign tax credits, as well as country-by-country (CbCR) reporting obligations.

Presenter(s):

Joel Levenson, University of Central Florida

Tracy Paglia, Moss Adams LLP

This session, presented in a bingo-style format, will provide an interactive discussion on a wide range of tax topics impacting colleges and universities. Appropriate for everyone from novices to experienced pros. Some of the topics we plan to discuss include:
- Unrelated business income
- Tax reform
- Current IRS issues
- IRS filings, including Form 1098-T

Presenter(s):

Louis Curcio, New York University

Dawn Mayer, University of San Francisco

Dominic Daher, University of San Francisco

Because no withholding typically takes place when an independent contractor is paid, the misclassification of
workers has long been a major area of IRS scrutiny. In recent years, the IRS launched the National Employment Tax Research Project, which involved examining the employment tax returns of 1500 organizations over a three-year period for worker classification issues. Panelists will offer a framework for compliance, using common campus employment scenarios.

Presenter(s):

Travis Patton, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Angie Leahy, Washington University in St. Louis

With the implementation of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the new excise tax on executive compensation created a new category of persons that colleges and universities must now identify and a new category of compensation to be
computed. What types of organizations are subject to the tax? Who are “covered persons” and how do they differ from the five highest compensated employees reported on the Form 990? What types of compensation are subject to the tax?
And how can your institution minimize the effect of the tax?

Presenter(s):

Kyle Richard, University of Washington

William Define, University of Virginia

Preston Quesenberry, KPMG LLP

As part of tax reform, numerous provisions were enacted that affect collegiate athletic departments. This panel will focus on the issues and questions created by the following provisions (among others):
• The denial of a deduction for contributions that give the donor a right to purchase tickets for seating in the university or college’s athletic stadium.
• An excise tax on compensation in excess of $1 million paid by certain universities and colleges to certain employees, including coaches.
• The denial of a deduction for purchasing tickets to sporting events (including skyboxes).
• Numerous provisions impacting incentives for charitable giving.

Presenter(s):

Beverly Daniel Tatum, Spelman College

The ABCs - affirming identity, building community, and cultivating leadership in a pluralistic context - are three critical components that every campus leader should understand in order to lead effectively in a diverse community.

At this breakfast, we encourage you to wear something from your current college or university or your alma mater. This is a great way to get to know other attendees and show your school spirit! Tuesday is a casual day.

Presenter(s):

Donna Kepley, Arctic International LLC

Colleges and Universities pay a variety of foreign nationals - employees, independent contractors, scholarship/fellowship recipients, performers and foreign entities. The tax withholding and reporting rules for each of these are different, and often create tax liability for the institution. This session will address how an
internal review of the procedures for making such payments can help to strengthen your institution’s compliance and minimize the assessment of additional taxes penalties, or interest.

Presenter(s):

Julia Shanahan, Columbia University in the City of New York

Glenn Christofides, Rutgers State University of New Jersey Central Office

Rebekuh Eley, BKD LLP

A back to the basics session on analyzing various student payments, including taxation and required reporting.