PwC US announced today that veteran tax professional Tina Skidmore joined the firm as a Tax Partner, based in its Seattle office. Skidmore will lead PwC’s Pacific Northwest State and Local Tax practice, where she will advise companies on tax planning solutions along with income tax compliance and state tax issues. Skidmore brings with her over 20 years of experience advising large corporations on tax issues.
“With the addition of Tina’s in-depth expertise and background on state income tax issues, our Seattle State and Local Tax practice will continue adding value to the firm and furthering our commitment of delivering high-quality services to our clients,” said Kevin Baldwin, managing partner of PwC’s Pacific Northwest Market. “PwC is focused on building a diverse set of leaders who have a variety of backgrounds and skill sets, and Tina is an exceptional addition to our team.”
“Companies today are faced with increasingly complex tax issues and need the right solutions to stay ahead. I look forward to working with the talented PwC Seattle team and continuing to drive client engagements that result in high levels of client satisfaction,” said Skidmore.
Prior to PwC, Skidmore was a multistate income tax professional focused on the creation and implementation of state tax strategies for corporations doing business in multiple jurisdictions. In that role, Skidmore predominately worked with major gaming, entertainment and retail companies in the Silicon Valley area as well as with the corporate tax department of a large biotechnology company.
Skidmore is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in Washington, Texas and California. She received a bachelor’s degree from Stephen F. Austin University and a master’s degree from Golden Gate University.
Schneider Downs & Co., Inc, one of the top 60 public accounting, tax and business advisory services firms in the U.S., recently appointed William Vohsing as State and Local Tax (SALT) Director.
Mr. Vohsing brings more than 30 years of tax experience to Schneider Downs in the areas of multi?state sales and use tax matters, including audit defense, refund reviews, nexus reviews, taxability analysis, direct pay permits and voluntary disclosure agreements. He has extensive experience in the areas of manufacturing, retail, banking, insurance, healthcare and public utility industries. In his new role as State and Local Tax Director, Mr. Vohsing will continue to serve clients and assist the firm in developing new client opportunities in these industries.
“Bill is a respected and trusted SALT practitioner with client experience all across the state of Ohio,” said Mark Cobetto, tax practice unit leader in Schneider Downs’ Columbus office. “His deep understanding of complex sales and use tax issues and his leadership capabilities make him an outstanding addition to our growing tax advisory team.”
Prior to joining Schneider Downs, Mr. Vohsing served as Executive Director for a national accounting firm, and also worked as a Manager of Sales, Property and Payroll Tax for Lane Bryant. He is a frequent speaker at Professional Education Systems, IPT, TEI and the Ohio Tax Conference. Bill Vohsing received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business with a major in Accounting from The Ohio State University.
Ligia Machado was promoted to Partner in PwC’s San Francisco Tax practice.
Machado is a member of PwC’s National Tax Services State and Local Tax Practice, based in Sacramento. She brings a wealth of experience in California income and franchise tax developments, related legislative matters and controversy opportunities. Machado is a Certified Public Accountant, licensed in California. She earned a Bachelor’s degree from California State University, Sacramento.
Sutherland Asbill & Brennan has announced that Jack Trachtenberg, the former New York State Department of Taxation and Finance Deputy Commissioner and Taxpayer Rights Advocate, has joined the firm’s State and Local Tax (SALT) Practice as Counsel in New York.
Mr. Trachtenberg has more than 10 years of experience advising clients and taxpayers on New York State, New York City and multistate tax matters. Prior to serving as the Taxpayer Rights Advocate, Mr. Trachtenberg practiced at a New York law firm, counseling clients on all aspects of state and local taxation. Mr. Trachtenberg has litigated cases before the New York State Division of Tax Appeals, the New York State Tax Appeals Tribunal and the New York State Supreme Court. He is also an adjunct professor at Albany Law School, where he teaches a course on state and local tax.
“This is an exciting time for both our SALT practice and the New York office. Jack is the third lateral addition to our SALT group this year,” said Sutherland Managing Partner Mark D. Wasserman. “Bringing Jack on board highlights the firm’s continued commitment to providing the highest quality service to our clients for all of their state tax issues across the U.S.”
“We are thrilled to have Jack join us,” said Jerome B. Libin, chair of Sutherland’s Tax Practice Group. “His extensive experience advocating for taxpayers through the administrative and judicial process in New York and other key states further augments our tremendous multistate SALT team. Jack will be of great value to our clients.”
As the first Taxpayer Rights Advocate at the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, Mr. Trachtenberg established and led the office, which intervenes on behalf of taxpayers facing intractable tax disputes. Under Mr. Trachtenberg’s leadership, the office managed nearly 4,000 cases in just over two years and obtained relief for taxpayers nearly 70% of the time. In this capacity, Mr. Trachtenberg also worked to identify systemic problems that were negatively burdening large segments of the taxpayer community. His efforts resulted in the passage of important reform legislation, as well as key changes to agency processes and procedures.
The addition of Mr. Trachtenberg comes just weeks after the announcement that Carley A. Roberts and Prentiss Willson, nationally recognized leaders in California and multistate tax matters, joined Sutherland SALT in Sacramento.
Sutherland’s SALT practice is one of the premier state and local tax law practices in the country, with 29 lawyers representing more than 25 of the Fortune 100 and numerous other clients that are recognized leaders in their respective sectors.
