TAX ALLIANCE CONFERENCE HISTORY

On September 30, 1993 an organizational Steering committee meeting was held in the Internal Revenue Service’s Regional Commissioners Conference Room, 12th floor, 4050 Alpha Road, Dallas, Texas 75224. Catherine Harvey, Dallas Problems Resolution officer chaired the organizational meeting.

At this meeting it was decided that the Dallas District would indeed host a Tax Alliance Conference and two tentative dates were selected, May 17 & 18 or May 19 & 20, of 1994. A chairman and co-chairman were selected. Claire Edwards was selected chairman and Joe Melton was selected co-chairman. A budget committee was selected with Joe Melton chairing this committee. Joe Melton was appointed to select a bank and open an account with himself and Jean Bennett as signators on the account.

Since no funds were available for seed money, it was decided that each organization would go to their respective boards and ask for a loan to be made to the TAC conference (approximately $2500 each) and that these loans would be repaid out of the first monies that were received in registrations. No organization will benefit monetarily from these conferences as any profits will be used to host the next conference.

The committee worked well together! Each member taking a responsibility to make the Tax Alliance Conference a success. Application for Sponsorship numbers was made to the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy, IRS Office of Professional Responsibility and the State Bar of Texas. Receiving the sponsorship, records of attendance are maintained annually. 

The 2-day conference was held May 17 & 18 of 1994, at the University of Texas at Dallas. To accommodate growing attendance, the conference was moved to the Plano Centre. 

Continuing to keep the conference price of attendance reasonable, a goal of the committee, is due to a cadre of knowledgeable speakers who present timely, relevant topics at no fee. The Tax Alliance Conference committee also receives no compensation for their hours of service to this event. The “seed money” of $2,500.00 which came from the Texas Enrolled Agents Society (TEAS) and $2,500.00 from the Texas Association of Financial & Tax Specialists (TAFTS) was soon repaid and the TAC has been self-sufficient ever since. 

I have been privileged to have been on the TAC committee since that first meeting in September 1993. My husband, Joe Melton, and Claire Edwards served the first two years as Co- Chairman. Keith Thomas chaired the committee the third year. It was Joe’s dream to unify the professional tax organizations, including both Federal and State taxing authorities to work together. The Tax Alliance Conference is a realization of a dream and its continued success a tribute to the tax professional community it serves.

Ms. Melton is a former founding Board member who served for over twenty years.