William & Mary Team Excels at Deloitte FanTAXtic National Competition
WESTLAKE, Texas, Nov. 29, 2011 — The Deloitte Foundation today announced William & Mary captured first place at the Deloitte FanTAXtic national competition, Deloitte’s newly redesigned tax case study competition, held at Deloitte University’s landmark campus for learning and leadership development near Dallas, Texas. Nine teams participated from Nov.18 – 20 in solving a complex business tax case simulation. Each student on the winning team received a $2,000 scholarship while the winning school received an institutional award of $10,000.
Sponsored by Deloitte and the Deloitte Foundation, Deloitte FanTAXtic is a case study competition that is designed to expose students to the tax profession early in their academic careers. The interactive program includes case simulation, role playing and presentations that helps students better understand the types of experiences and business challenges they can expect from a career in tax. Deloitte tax professionals were on hand to offer the students support and guidance throughout the competition.
“We are very excited about Deloitte FanTAXtic as it offers a fresh approach to delivering a long standing tax case competition,” said Shaun Budnik, president, Deloitte Foundation. “As a result of the interactive nature of the program’s new design, students are able to better understand the experiences and business challenges they may face during a tax career. I congratulate the William & Mary team as they demonstrated an ability to work collaboratively while exhibiting a solid understanding of tax issues.”
The second and third place winners of the national competition were University of Texas at Austin and John Carroll University, respectively. The second place team received $1,000 per student and an institutional award of $5,000 and the third place team received $500 per student and $2,500 per school.
“For years, the Deloitte Tax Case Study Competition has allowed us to play a vital role in developing and nurturing the next generation of tax talent,” said Carl Allegretti, chief executive officer, Deloitte Tax LLP. “Deloitte FanTAXtic, the latest iteration of the competition, has raised the bar on how we engage students and enhance their knowledge of tax. This year’s winning team fully embraced the new format and delivered thoughtful, technically sound solutions to a very complex business tax case simulation. The results give me great confidence in the future of our profession.”
In addition to the first, second and third place teams, Deloitte awarded national finalist honorable mention awards to the remaining teams at the national competition. Each team that participated in the national competition were first place winners of their regional competition, which drew more than 80 teams from 53 colleges and universities, which were held on October 22 in 19 cities across the country.
About Deloitte Foundation
The Deloitte Foundation, founded in 1928, is a not-for-profit organization that supports teaching, research and curriculum innovation in accounting, business and related fields within the U.S. The Foundation sponsors an array of national programs relevant to a variety of professional services, benefitting middle/high school students, undergraduates, graduate students and faculty. For more information, please visit the Deloitte Foundation web page at www.deloitte.com/us/df.
