Lead Sponsor
Sponsors
“Jim Nason was exceptional. His knowledge and communications skills made for a knowledgeable and thorough subject presentation. Great job!”
– Bonnie Boggs, Sierra Telephone
“I attend this program every year. There are always knowledgeable people with great information.”
–Rasheda Murphy, Powernet Global Communications
“After attending last year’s conference, I came away with information from one of the sessions which prompted a refund totaling over $4.2M”
– John Figueirdo, Verizon Wireless
“… exceeded my expectations. It seems to be becoming more informative and relevant
to our job functions in this increasingly difficult time of doing more with less”
– John Dolan, Verizon
“Excellent content – well worth the time”
– John Boyles, Comcast
“Very valuable information. Great speakers. Excellent networking!”
– Amy Karpf, Cavalier Telephone
“The speakers are top-notch.”
--Bill Thiemann, Centennial Communications
“Very good, very focused discussion.”
--Jay Goodrich, Verizon Wireless
“So much to learn! The materials and speakers were very well organized.”
-- Amy Karpf, Talk America
“The most comprehensive telecom taxation conference available today.”
-- Joe Hartman, Radianz Americas
“A must attend conference for anyone in the telco tax world.”
-- Norene Hartug, Frontier Communications
“Excellent content yet again. Well worth the time.”
-- John Boyles, Comcast
“This is a must attend for anyone in the field of telecommunications taxation.”
-- Terri Westover, Frontier Communications
“This is the number one conference to identify best practices in the telecom tax world.”
-- Roy Drukker, Fairpoint
Communications Taxation 2025
May 13-15, 2025
DoubleTree by Hilton - Downtown Nashville, Tennessee
2025 session updates posted below. Additional sessions forthcoming.
About Communications Taxation
For 26 years, Communications Taxation has brought together the nation's top tax professionals to address the challenging and complex domain of telecommunications taxation, regulatory compliance and fees.
Who attends: The program attracts between 300 and 400 tax professionals from all sectors of the communications and technology industry -- including wireline, mobile, cable, Internet, VoIP, enterprise services as well as cloud, social media and content providers. See the list of last year's attending companies below.
Why you should attend: Whether you are new to communications taxes and regulatory compliance, or an industry veteran, the experts at Communications Taxation will show you how to lower your tax bill, improve compliance, streamline tax operations, pro actively prepare for audits, better defend your company's audit position, leverage case studies/precedent to lower liabilities, manage digital/cloud/content offerings, prepare for "what's next" and -- most importantly -- network with your industry peers to learn and share experiences.
Questions about the Program? Interested in exhibiting / sponsoring? Have feedback from prior years? Please feel free to contact me!
Sincerely,
Dr. Matthew Lucas, Program Chair
[email protected]
Communications Taxation 2025 Program Schedule
(Tentative - to be confirmed shortly)
| Tuesday - May 13, 2025 (Pre-Conference Tutorial and Workshops) | ||
| 8:30AM - 12:30 PM | Pre-conference Tutorial: Understanding Telecom Taxation Presented by Deloitte |
|
| 1PM - 4:30 PM | Pre-conference Workshops: |
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| 6:00 - 8:00 PM | Conference Reception Party | |
| Wednesday - May 14, 2025 (Conference Day 1) | ||
| 7:30 AM | Registration and Exhibits Open, Breakfast | |
| 8:15AM - 12 noon | Conference Keynotes and Morning Panels | |
| 12 noon | Sponsored Lunch | |
| 1:15 - 4:45 | Conference Sessions (panels, breakouts) | |
| 4:45PM | Cocktail Reception | |
| Thursday - May 15, 2025 (Conference Day 2) | ||
| 7:15 AM | Registration and Exhibits Open, Breakfast | |
| 8:00AM - 12 PM | Conference Sessions (panels, breakouts) | |
| 12 noon (sharp) | Conference Concludes - safe travels home | |
Communications Taxation 2025
Pre-conference Tutorial and Workshops
"Understanding ComTax" Tutorial - Led by Deloitte
8:30AM - 12:30PM - Tuesday May 13
"Understanding Communications Taxation" Pre-Conference Tutorial -- Led by Deloitte
This is an absolute must for people new to the communications industry, emerging services space, the surrounding converging sectors or even those feel they might want a refresher of Communications Tax 101+
Click here for a detailed agenda and description
USF Workshop - Led by Top Regulatory Attorneys
1:00PM - 4:30PM - Tuesday May 13
"Understanding USF"
This workshop is for both experienced telecommunications tax personnel involved with USF regulatory compliance activities, as well as new entrants that offer telecom services as part of their overall service package and are new to regulatory compliance requirements
Click here for a detailed agenda and description
Generative AI Workshop
1:00PM - 4:30PM - Tuesday May 13
"Put GenAI to Use – Practice Building AI Agents Applicable to Everyday Tax Functions"
Join KPMG for an innovative GenAI training session where you will gain hands-on experience with GenAI as KPMG will open its GenAI for Tax environment as a training ground for this conference. This interactive course is designed to empower tax professionals with cutting-edge skills in prompt engineering, the power of Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), and the development of agentic frameworks.
Click here for a detailed agenda and description
"Hands-On" Analytics Workshop - Led by E&Y
1:00PM - 4:30PM - Tuesday May 13
"Using Power BI and Power Query to Manage Data"
Do you want to become proficient at developing and presenting Analytics for use in your tax department? In this workshop our presenters will coach you through example exercises on your computer and show you how to generate world class analytics.
Click here for a detailed agenda and description - AND the datasets/software information for those who want to bring their own computers.
Conference Welcome Reception
Communications Taxation 2025
Conference Sessions
(Initial Sessions - Updates and Additional talks pending)
Welcome to Communications Taxation 2025
Dr. Matthew Lucas -- TeleStrategies, Conference Chair
2025 Keynote Addresses
KeynoteS To Be Announced
2025 Conference Sessions
Automating Compliance: Navigating E911 and Per Line Charges
The telecom compliance landscape is evolving with technological advancements and complex regulatory demands. This panel will focus on how automation transforms compliance management, specifically discussing:
- Defining Lines and Trunks: How do new technologies redefine "lines" and "trunks" in telecom?
- Legal Landscape: What are the implications of recent litigation on per line/per month charges?
- Automation Advantage: How does Avalara automate and simplify compliance to reduce errors and clarify obligations?
- Future of Fees: What are viable alternatives for funding public programs through telecom fees?
Join our expert panelists to uncover the strategic role of automation in overcoming the complexities of telecom tax compliance.
Brian Spencer – Senior Tax Manager, 8x8
Toby Bargar – Senior Tax Strategist, Avalara
Mitch Bailey – Partner, Moss Adams
Arti Deliaj – Partner, PWC
Steve Lacoff – General Manager Communications, Avalara (Moderator)
Building a Compliant Billing System: Key Steps for Changing Your Billing System
Implementing or transitioning to a new billing system in the communications industry requires more than just data migration—it demands a strategic approach to compliance. This session will cover the essential steps for setting up a billing system that ensures accurate tax calculation, proper regulatory filings, and seamless integrations with compliance tools. Attendees will learn about the critical components of a compliant billing system, how to avoid common pitfalls, and best practices for maintaining accuracy as tax and regulatory requirements evolve.
Robert Dumas – TaxConnex, Founder and CEO
Brent Reeves – Ceretax , Co-Founder and CCO
Usman Zahoor – Rev.io , VP of Channel and Community
Jonathan Marashalian – The COMMLaw Group, Founder
State Tax Litigation Update
This session will provide an update on key litigation and controversies involving the taxation of telecommunications services, including the application of telecommunications taxes to hardware and software, court interpretations of the limitations of the Internet Tax Freedom Act and the unbundling of taxable and nontaxable products and services.
Eric Tresh – Eversheds Sutherland
Liz Cha – Eversheds Sutherland
SALT Communications Industry Tax Considerations in 2025
What questions are communications industry tax professionals spending most of their time reviewing today? Is the biggest issue determining whether services are taxable? New and evolving services, with little or no guidance from state or local taxing jurisdictions specifically applicable to those services, can create challenges. Does the taxability analysis include reviews of or reliance on federal legislation like the Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA) or Mobile Telecommunications Sourcing Act (MTSA)? The internet access definition and non-discrimination of electronic commerce provisions of the ITFA, and the sourcing and hold harmless rules of the MTSA are often considered as service taxability is reviewed. How about tracking new or proposed taxes that would impact the company or the company’s customers? Planning whether a company can implement a proposed or enacted tax or what the financial impact of that tax might be on the company or consumer may need to begin before the legislation imposing the tax is actually passed or soon after. We will discuss these topics and other state and local tax questions industry tax professionals are currently focused on.
Audra Mitchell – Managing Director, KPMG
John Vann – Senior Manager, KPMG
Data, Technology & AI in Telecom Compliance
In this session we delve into the intricate landscape of state and local indirect tax compliance, focusing on the challenges faced by traditional telecommunications, cloud communications, and technology companies. With a spotlight on compliance data lifecycle, we explore the complexities of managing and interpreting data sourced from billing systems, tax engine systems and other financial data systems to ensure accurate reporting and adherence to complaince frameworks. By leveraging cutting-edge technologies like AI, we navigate the evolving indirect tax and regulatory landscape, offering insights and strategies to optimize compliance processes and mitigate risks in an increasingly dynamic industry where the tax departments are asked to do way more with way less resources.
Frank Giovannone - Senior Manager, PWC
Nausher Hoodbhoy - Partner, PwC
John Barnes – Senior Tax Director, T-Mobile
Single Price Bundled Offerings and Revenue Allocation Issues for Regulatory and Transaction Tax Purposes
Your marketing department wants to bundle multiple service and possibly product offerings into a single price on the customer’s invoice. How should the value of the components be established for purposes of regulatory and sales/telecom tax application and reporting? What type of support does your company need to establish in order to support these pricing and tax determinations? This session will focus on FCC unbundling rules and state sales/telecom tax unbundling rules (e.g., SSTP, MTSA & ITFA) and how to use revenue allocation studies performed by valuation engineers to support your filing positions.
Rick Heller – Managing Director - Deloitte Tax Indirect Tax Consulting Leader and Multistate Tax Telecom Industry Leader
Bryson Peters – Senior Manager - Deloitte Transactions & Business Analytics
“I’m Selling a New Product … What do I do Next?”
With the ever evolving product mix and blurred lines between traditional telecom, software, and technology offerings, accurately defining what you are selling is critical. Many times, the tax function is the last to know about a new product or service and left scrambling to define it and develop a strategy for transaction taxes. Not to mention the systems changes needed to accurately report and tax such items. This panel will dive into best practices for ensuring your tax team is at the forefront and involved in new and acquired product offerings. Understanding audit risk of any decision is critical, and we will discuss real-world examples of good and bad decisions.
Dustin Davis – Principal, Ryan
Tod Matthiessen – Ryan
Getting Your Bills Right: Real World Help with Invoice Presentation of Telecom Tax and Fee Line Items
This panel of seasoned practitioners will help you navigate the challenges of presenting telecom tax and fee line items on your bills so that you can avoid pitfalls, limit opportunities for customer confusion, and mitigate risk. The panel will focus on bill presentation requirements, truth-in-billing, bundled service charges, customer privacy, recovery items and Universal Service Fund pass-through. They will also explain how to best navigate the many differences between regulatory fees and telecom taxes - among the wide variety of jurisdictions that impose them - and address how changes at the Federal Communications Commission may impact these issues.
Toby Bargar – Senior Tax Strategist, Avalara
Kathy Saxton – Multistate Tax Service, Deloitte Tax LLP
Kristine Devine - HWG Law Firm
SALT Controversies – Audit Assessments & Refund Denials
This panel will discuss positions state and local taxing jurisdictions are taking as a basis for denying tax refund claims and issuing tax assessments against Communications Industry companies. Understanding the instances where jurisdictions are attempting to limit the available time within which to file refund claims, narrow exemptions and expand the tax base will help prepare you to defend your company’s taxing methodology and reduce your company’s risk of tax exposure.
Jeremy Blocher – Partner, KPMG
Steven Braun – Manager, KPMG
Telecommunications Taxation Top Ten Developments and Rulings
This breakout discussion will focus on the latest trends and state developments throughout the last year. Keep up to date with how states are approaching nexus, trying to expand their tax bases, and continuously stretch the meanings of their statutes and regulations.
Liz Bopp - Managing Director, PwC
Kathy Makas – Tax Director, Lumen
David Spradlin – Tax Director, AT&T
Revolutionizing Tax Compliance and Reporting -- How Technology is Shaping the Future of Taxation
The landscape of tax departments is rapidly changing. More and more companies are shifting to tax technology in order to streamline their departments as well as cut there processing times. This session will discuss how tax technology is evolving and how it is the future of all tax groups.
Kiran Seshagiri – SAP Practice Leader, Vertex Inc.
Frank Giovannone – Senior Manager, PWC
Taxation of Digital Goods and Software – Ramifications on SaaS/Cloud Businesses
The evolving tax landscape treats digital goods and software as tangible products in some jurisdictions and as rentals in other jurisdictions, complicating tax compliance for SaaS and cloud businesses. Classifying digital goods as rentals can create unexpected tax liabilities, particularly in states with unique rules for recurring revenue models, and for taxpayers with direct pay permits. Businesses must navigate varying definitions and taxability rules, impacting pricing, invoicing, and tax remittance. Understanding these complexities is crucial for mitigating risk and ensuring proper tax compliance across jurisdictions.
Moshe Weingarten – VP of Product Strategy,CereTax
Eric Schaefer – Sales Engineer, Technical Lead Telecom & Energy, CereTax
Old and New Frontiers: Gross Receipts Taxes, New Taxes/Fees and Legislative Trends
Gross receipts taxes are making a dangerous come-back at the state level. Additionally, states and local governments are considering/enacting new taxes and fees applicable to the communications industry (think 988 fees, Colorado delivery fees, digital ad/data taxes, etc.). This session will include a discussion of the complexities associated with the proper application of those taxes and highlight related issues and controversies
Maria Todorova – Partner, Eversheds Sutherland
Chelsea Marmor – Counsel, Eversheds Sutherland
Maximizing Efficiency: Getting the Most Mileage Out of Your Tax Engine
In today's complex tax environment, your tax engine is crucial for ensuring compliance and efficiency. During this session, we will explore how to get the most mileage out of your tax engine and unlock hidden potential using various strategies and best practices. We will cover key features and functionalities that can be leveraged in unexpected ways to help you validate tax policies, cleanse master data, and automate manual analysis and tax calculations. We will also delve into real-world use cases and tangible results achieved by leveraging these strategies, such as validating and cleansing thousands of addresses, executing large-scale use tax accruals, and building taxability matrices to view current tax policy across sales and purchasing categories and geographies. Whether you are in the process of implementing a new tax engine or looking to optimize your existing one, this hands-on session will provide valuable insights and practical tips to help you streamline your tax operations and achieve greater efficiency.
Steve Frazee – Managing Director, KPMG
Invited industry guests
Telecom Taxes Practical Issues in M&A Deals
As 5G becomes the platform for tomorrow's economy, M&A volume is expected to edge up as many companies seek to transform themselves through acquisitions into a hybrid of telecom, technology and media content providers. In this session we will examine transactional taxes issues arising during an M&A deal (buy side or sell side), including stock vs. asset purchases, successor liability, material exposure areas and post deal integration issues. We will highlight tax due diligence practical approaches including effective data requests, and analysis, management queries, and due diligence report formats.
Arti Deliaj – Partner, PwC
Nicholas Carey – Manager, PwC
What Is Coming From the FCC in the Remainder of 2025 and Calendar Year 2026 That Could Affect Your Bottom Line & Customers
This session addresses the 35,000 foot and ground view of FCC initiatives; current progress of those initiatives as of May 2025; and provides forward-looking predictions of what will happen depending on who captures the Presidency including what FCC programs will survive from one Presidency to a new Administration, or if the current Administration has another 4 years to accomplish their agenda. There will also be a historical view of how current initiatives are results of longstanding FCC public policy. FCC Universal Service will be just one of the items discussed as there are many FCC initiatives that impact the industry and its customers.
Phil Macres Esq. – Principle, Klein Law Group
Mark Lammert CPA – CEO, Compliance Solutions Inc.
Leading Practices in Controversy: Let’s get Tactical in Reviewing Changes in Law, Administration, and Tax Agencies Approach to Refund Claims and Audit Reviews
Every business with sales and use tax obligations will eventually find itself in an overpayment or audit situation. Securing that refund or minimizing assessments — can present unique and state-specific challenges. During this session, we will review and discuss the common compliance errors, legislative changes leading to ripe opportunities or risks, how taxpayers are leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) on large data sets, and leading practices for dealing with state revenue agencies.
Natalie Haynes – EY Partner
Rachel Quintana – EY Partner
Advanced Technologies and How AI is Changing the Practice of State & Local Tax
This session will cover the key trends and issues tax departments are facing related to advanced tax technologies including a primer on new technologies and relevant terminology. The session will also include a discussion regarding common use cases, management of competing tools within organizations, and developing the next innovative use.
Rudy Blahnik – Managing Director, EY
Natalie Haynes – Partner, EY
Attributional Nexus and Telecom – Navigating Nexus Rules
Telecom businesses face unique challenges with attributional nexus, where nexus is often established based on the customer's service address rather than the seller’s physical presence. This differs from South Dakota v. Wayfair, which focuses on economic thresholds for nexus. Telecom providers must also account for carrier types which impact imposition requirements and pass-through types. Navigating these complexities is essential to ensure accurate tax collection and compliance across varying state and local tax laws.
Samantha Maqueo – Director of Customer Success, CereTax
Other speakers to be announced
Compliance Best Practices – Deep Dive Q & A
The Communications industry is a dynamic, ever-changing world of possibilities. Carriers want to offer their clients the latest solutions and superior service while growing their bottom line. But what about regulatory rules and tax obligations? Do they fall on you or your clients? How do you establish a tax policy that’s optimized and defensible in an audit? Questions are many and the answers may be fuzzy.
Joe Solana – Sr. Communications Tax and Compliance Advisor, Wolters Kluwer
Shauna Brewer – Partner Manager - Communications – Wolters Kluwer
Ben Isbell – Senior Solution Consultant - Telecommunications, Wolters Kluwer
Communications Taxaion 2025 Concludes Promptly at 12 Noon
questions, comments, suggestions? please email Matthew Lucas ([email protected])