2020 Annual Meeting of the California Tax Bar & California Tax Policy Conference Report

By Lorraine Yu, Annual Meeting Chair and Jackie Zumaeta, California Tax Policy Conference Chair

In a year unlike any other, the 2020 Annual Meeting of the California Tax Bar & California Tax Policy Conference was also unlike any other. With the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 cases, stay-at-home orders, and restrictions on gatherings in California, we responded and changed the format of this year’s conference into a two-day virtual event.

The virtual conference was held on November 4 & 5, 2020, and despite the new format, we welcomed 421 private, government, and industry practitioners in attendance online. The conference began with opening remarks from Laura Buckley, Chair of the Taxation Section, welcoming all and introducing the new virtual format to all attendees of the conference.

This year’s conference featured 14 programs and presentations by esteemed tax professionals, including representatives from numerous federal and state tax agencies and offices, tax law professors, and private practitioners. The panels included topics regarding the most current issues facing tax professionals, such as legal issues arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, estate and gift tax planning, and always-popular panels such as the U.S. Tax Court Roundtable, the Annual Legislative Update, and the Chief Counsel Roundtable.