A team of undergraduate students from DU’s Daniels College of Business has advanced to the final round of competition in the sixth annual Deloitte Tax Case Study Competition, a nationwide interscholastic competition for undergraduate and graduate tax students.
The School of Accountancy Tax Team members are Rachelle Barrett, Alex Bitti, Cristina Francisco and Kyle Hansen.
The team advanced from the regional tax competition on Oct. 20, during which 50 teams representing more than 35 colleges and universities matched wits. Other finalists in the undergraduate division include teams from Brigham Young University, Ohio State University, University of Southern California, the College of William & Mary and University of Wisconsin–Madison.
The final competition will be held in Orlando, Fla., Nov. 16–18. DU’s team will be given five hours to complete a case study that requires participants to analyze information and identify data relevant for tax purposes, identify issues and alternative tax treatments, and develop a recommended solution citing appropriate Internal Revenue Code and treasury regulations.
At the end of the competition, each team will prepare a written solution to their case and submit it to a panel of judges from Deloitte Tax LLP for evaluation.
In addition to producing a written report, the students will be required to make an oral presentation to a panel of Deloitte’s senior tax professionals.
“The Deloitte event simulates the current working environment of tax professionals engaged in providing tax advice to clients. In addition to their tax knowledge, the students must bring to the table a lot of energy and creativity and utilize the technology, team building and communication skills emphasized in our curriculum to produce a solution in a time sensitive environment,” says Accounting Professor John Tripp, the undergraduate team coach.
The School of Accountancy has fielded undergraduate teams in the annual competition for the last four years, and its teams have made the finals in three of those four years.
A team from the Graduate Tax Program at DU’s Sturm College of Law also advanced to the final competition. Graduate team members are Sarah Flockhart, Matthew Heeman, Kerri Rolland and Michele Horn. Their adviser is Professor Edward Roche.