Communicating Research Results

File Memorandum

-          Organize fact, issues and conclusions

-          Facilitate review of activities by  supervisors or colleagues

-          Allow for subsequent examination

Initial determination is likely to be incomplete

-          Taxpayers see things from just their side

-          Taxpayers not trained in law

-          Not all statutes of facts are clear

-          Memories may not be clear

How to Communicate Tax Research Results

Memorandum

Address

Relevant Facts

Issues

Conclusions

Support

Actions to take

Evaluating Sources of Law

-regulations are seldom found invalid

-           revenue rulings and revenue procedures are modified

-           higher level courts have higher weight in sayings

-           Bound by rules within tax and court district

-           2^nd, 9^th, Federal Circuits are weighted more

-           older cases are worth less unless they are supreme court cases

-           tax treatises and journal articles reveal current issues

-           IRS agents only bound by code, courts and govt while practitioners – clients

-           court decisions are not predictable

Client Letters

Most common form of communication is phone call

Letter gets rid of many risks of calls

Should not exceed 2 pages

Only go over highlights or process

Answers best gone over in person

-          Salutation/general conclusion

-          Summary of results

-          Objective of report

-          Statement of facts and disclaimer

-          Summer of sources

-          Implications of results

-          Assumptions and/or limitations

-          Closing thoughts and suggest follow up meeting

-          Attachments

Effective Guidelines

-          Main points in first paragraph

-          State a purpose and stick to it

-          Avoid filler language

-          Avoid clichés or filler jargon that lacks substance

-          Follow 10-80-10 rule

• 10% intro, 80% body, 10% conclusion

-          Be willing to revise

-          Spell names right and use titles

-          Practice writing and proof reading

Comprehensive Illustration of Client File

File includes:

-          Client letter

-          Client Memo

-          Engagement letter

-          Billing and collection history

-          Relevant research

-          Links to important analyses

Oral Presentations of Research Results

-          General preparation

• Why me?
• What do they want?
• What is their attitude?
• What should I stay away?
• What do they already know?
• Who is the audience?

-          Focus on conclusions and main points

-          Be brief and concise leaving details for Q&A

-          Use visual aids effectively

• To convey difficult ideas text doesn’t explain
• Save time through consolidation
• Create interest
• Emphasize a point
• Organization
• Introduce something to lighten the mood
• Leave an idea in viewer’s mind
• Slides should focus on pictures
• Use a 6 by 6 rule on slides
• Simple font
• Professional background music
• 3 minutes of speech for each slide
• Have back up files and sources for presentation

-          Have your own equipment

-          Be close to the audience

-          Eliminate distraction

-          Use tones

-          Don’t mind silences

-          Do not read from slides or outline

-          Have plan B ready if needed

I am Alexander Glaser, I am an online writer specializing in Economics Tutorials

Alexander Glaser

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