The Gem State Tax Symposium and Gem State Business and Accounting Conference – celebrating 11 years and presented by the accounting department of the College of Business and Economics – offers accounting professionals the opportunity to gather, earn continuing professional education credits and support Boise State students. Over the past decade, the conferences have raised more than $400,000 for student scholarships.

Accounting department lore says that the two conferences began because of friendly rivalry between two of the department’s main disciplines: auditing and taxation. And since then, the conferences have done a world of good for both the accounting community and Boise State students.

“These conferences are not just about keeping up with the latest trends. It’s also about supporting the next generation of accounting talent through scholarships,” said Troy Hyatt, chair of accounting and associate professor. “By participating, participants not only invest in their own careers, but also support the future of the profession.”

A common vision

In 2013, Bill Lathen, professor emeritus of taxation and former dean of the College of Business and Economics, wanted to create a sustainable scholarship fund for accounting students before he retired. He landed on the idea of ​​a tax symposium, an event that would bring together local tax professionals to learn from industry experts, earn continuing professional education credits and contribute to scholarships. Bill worked with the University of Idaho College of Law, which was expanding its programs in Boise at the time. The first symposium took place on June 12, 2014.

Around the same time, Dan Fox, a former accounting lecturer and Beta Alpha Psi faculty advisor, shared a similar goal of increasing accounting scholarship. Inspired by the success of the first tax symposium, he envisioned a conference for other accounting professionals. Deloitte, one of the “Big Four” CPA firms in the Treasure Valley, already held an annual CPE conference, so they agreed to partner with the accounting department and move the event to Boise State on December 19, 2014. Proceeds benefited a gifted. scholarship fund.

A decade of learning and giving back

The Gem State Tax Symposium is held each year in May or June after the rush of tax season. It is a full-day event with approximately 100 attendees that brings top national and Idaho speakers to Boise State to discuss current tax issues, law changes and policy issues.

Over the past several years, it has been organized by Mark Cowan, Distinguished Professor and Director of the Master of Accounting-Taxation Programs, along with an advisory board of tax professionals from CPA firms, law firms, and major corporations, as well as other tax professors at Boise State and the University of Idaho. The symposium continued its partnership with the University of Idaho College of Law and provides continuing legal education and ethics credits to participating tax attorneys. Proceeds fund Symposium Scholar awards for accounting graduate students. It was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, but will celebrate its 11th year in 2025.

“Planning the symposium is challenging because we are reaching out to tax professionals who have different levels of experience and work in a variety of settings,” said Cowan. “Participants range from small CPA firms to the Big Four, from multinational corporations to government agencies, and from entry-level staff to seasoned professionals. But the benefits of bringing this diverse group together to learn, network and support students are worth it.”

The Gem State Business and Accounting Conference is held annually in December and provides the latest updates and insights on business, accounting and financial reporting issues relevant to private and public companies. The December date also gives professionals the opportunity to increase their CPE credits until the end of the year. The conference started as a full-day event, but evolved into a half-day event with approximately 200 attendees. Hyatt is partnering with Deloitte to put on the event, and the partnership means all registration fees go to the Beta Alpha Psi Scholarship Fund, which awards merit-based scholarships to undergraduate and graduate accounting students.

This year, the Gem State Business and Accounting Conference will be held on Friday, December 6th. Registration is now open and available here.