As Chair of the Federal Taxation Section Council for 2005-2006, I would like to inform the members of the Section that a primary objective of this year's Council is to expand our liaison activities with members of our Illinois Congressional Delegation as well as the Internal Revenue Service. This first edition of our newsletter is devoted primarily to the presentations on tax reform made by members of the Council this past May to our Illinois delegation in Washington, D.C.

The Council regularly attends IRS liaison meetings which primarily focus on tax procedure, collections, and compliance. The IRS Taxpayer Education and Communications Group has asked us to periodically update the Section Website with information on upcoming programs. For example, an IRS Tax Practitioner Phone Forum will be conducted Thursday, August 25, 2005 addressing e-Services. You can e-mail your RSVP to TECDG@irs.gov. Also, the IRS will be holding their 2005 Nationwide Tax Forum in Chicago from August 30 through September 1. This conference will cover a broad range income and estate tax topics and tax procedure. Registration information can be obtained at www.taxforuminfo.com.

As always, we welcome your feedback during the year on federal tax policy issues or tax administration concerns that we can present at our IRS liaison or Washington meetings. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me at tarends@colombik.com