Read the Full Strategic Planning 2.0 Initiative PDF
Recognizing the importance of establishing a mission statement and goals, Tax Council endeavors each year to develop methods and strategies to accomplish the Taxation Section's mission and goals.
Since the Taxation Section implemented its first strategic plan, effective October 2016, Tax Council has endeavored to consider ways to continuously improve on this new initiative of following a strategic plan.
To this end, Tax Council decided to move to an annual strategic plan, adopted by Tax Council in October each year, that would represent the new Taxation Section Chair's goals for the year to carry out the Section's Mission.
As Tax Council considers goals for the upcoming fiscal year, beginning October 2019, the following accomplishments from the past fiscal year will serve as the starting points for shaping the Tax Section's next Strategic Plan:
- Goal: Maintain better contact with Taxation Section members. This goal has been achieved by the implementation of a new, published e-newsletter, disseminated to all members of the Taxation Section quarterly since the fall of 2018, titled "Tax in the Great Lakes State."
- Goals: Education to achieve an equitable, efficient, and workable tax system. These goals were met by creating a new "Tax Highlights" report summarizing selected legislative and regulatory tax developments for the benefit of members, partnering with the Michigan Court of Claims to publish online opinions and orders issued in all tax cases, and filing an amicus curiae brief in a case pending before the Michigan Supreme Court, TOMRA North America v. MI Dep't of Treasury.
- Goals: Drive traffic to the SBM website and keep website updated. These goals have been achieved by efforts to completely revamp and update the SBM Taxation Section webpages in the fall of 2018 and by working with the SBM to continuously and frequently upload content about Section activities, meetings and events.
- Goals: Improve the pro bono and grant initiatives. These goals have been achieved through the efforts of the Pro Bono Project / Community Service Initiative Coordinator and the Grant Coordinator. Many pro bono communications and multiple pro bono training sessions were held, and multiple grants were made by Council for pro bono activities, including a new, one-time grant to the Michigan State Tax Clinic.
- Goal: Appoint vice chairs to each committee to assist with leadership and the transfer of knowledge. This goal was achieved and vice chairs have been appointed.
- Goals: Offer a "Tax Boot Camp" and "signature events" to educate tax attorneys. These goals were achieved. A "Tax Boot Camp" was held on October 25, 2018 with a networking event after; certain committees have created a "signature event" such as the "Tax Practitioner Success Panel" hosted annually by the Young Tax Lawyers.
- Goal: Develop better participation by law students. This goal was achieved by law school mixer/networking events held at the law schools of Michigan State University and University of Detroit Mercy and by the development of a new Law Student Writing Challenge in January 2019, marketed to law school students, with cash scholarships available to the winning law school students.