Las Vegas IRS Conference

[Lion]

Anybody going to the IRS Conference in Las Vegas? Or NYC? I could take the train into NYC, but with parking fees and train tickets and getting up before dawn... The LV hotel is the cheapest. But, is it worth spending the money (and three days out of my life)? Are the seminars/instructors any good?

[erchess]

What could the IRS teach you?

They could teach you their policies and procedures or at least what they want you to know about them. They could teach you their positions on tax law. All of that is available on the IRS website and in any good online research library. The danger of learning from them is that on so many matters there may be one or more other points of view that are at least as valid as theirs. I would never listen to an IRS employee discuss tax law unless I already considered my self an expert on that area of the tax law.

If I were going to a seminar I would go to one by NATP NAEA or some other professional association or just a provider of CPE such as PESI. I would also consider Gearup but someone I respect on here said that this outfit used to be great but is no longer. You don't hear about criminal defense attorneys going to the District Attorney's office for advice. I don't mean to suggest in any way that the IRS as an organization is evil or stupid but their inherent interest is in our clients paying as much tax as can be reasonably justified while ours is in our clients paying as little tax as can be reasonably justified. We are collectively a check on the power of the IRS just as criminal defense lawyers are collectively a check on the power of the police and the prosecutors.

Actually I am going to a PESI seminar in my state in August.

[Jiggers]

IRS Seminars/Forums

I have been to some IRS Seminars/Forums.

Very good job, for a 5th grade presentation.

Most presenters didn't know their subject, and information was minimal, available on the internet.

Never again.

I will stick with NCPE seminars. Tried NATP and not too impressed.

[Lion]

Naea

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I have very good CtSEA seminars about an hour's drive from my home, so I think I'll skip the IRS seminars for now.

[ED SMITH]

My experience with the forum was a little difference than Jiggers. I went to the LV forum 3 or 4 years ago. Many of the presenters were outside CPA;s and E.A.'s. Some of them were outstanding. Even the IRS people were also very good. They had some of the top people from some of their various departments.

Perhaps because it is Vegas, it is considered a choice location and they get the best people there. I was impressed by most of the presenters. There were only one or two duds.

It is a very inexpensive way to get CPE credits. There are no exams and there is no control of attendance. Theoretically you could check into the forum and get 24 hours signed off at the end.

The only down side is that the seminar rooms at the Rio Hotel are huge and hold about 1500 people, so it is difficult to ask questions. There are no exams.

Of course you also have the backdrop of LV, which is worth at least one trip in a lifetime.

[ecb34691]

For the past 3 years they have used a bar coded badge system to track attendance. It doesn't mean you can't check in to each session and walk out the door.