Burt, Staples & Maner, LLP professionals join EY

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- EY announced today that John Staples, managing partner of Burt, Staples & Maner, LLP (BSM), and the professionals from BSM have joined Ernst & Young LLP in the US. Staples and his team focus on Information Reporting and Withholding (IRW) and join the EY global network of professionals committed to addressing the rapidly changing tax reporting demands on international companies.

"John Staples and his team at BSM are widely recognized as leaders in information reporting and withholding," said Kate Barton, EY Americas Vice Chair of Tax Services. "Staying current on global withholding tax developments and what it means to the overall business is critically important – today more than ever. The addition of this group and the appointment of John Staples as EY Global IRW Markets Leader is part of EY's ongoing commitment to investing heavily in our global tax reporting services so we can help our clients address complex reporting issues wherever they operate."

Staples noted that IRW has become an increasingly complex area with the worldwide implementation of the U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) regime through country specific Intergovernmental Agreements (IGAs), the overhaul of the U.S. withholding and reporting rules that apply to U.S. source payments to non-U.S. persons, and the rapid evolution of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD's) Common Reporting Standard (CRS) and its automatic exchange of information (AEOI) requirements. Monitoring the global implementation of FATCA and CRS and identifying in-country variations has become critical for businesses and individuals to remain compliant with increasingly complex withholding and reporting requirements.

EY's tax technical, business process and IT professionals help clients effectively and efficiently implement, monitor and remediate IRW issues across the enterprise. The range of services the IRW team delivers includes large integration projects, targeted evaluation of compliance programs in any global jurisdiction, data analysis, business line compliance, assessment and remediation. Staples and his team will play a key role in the coordination of these services to help organizations review and analyze their global needs, systems and policies, and address specific regulations in each market in which they operate.

Staples has been a partner at BSM for 13 years, focused primarily on IRW. His clients include major financial institutions, multinational corporations headquartered in the United States and Europe, banking and business associations, foreign governments, and high net worth individuals. Previously, Staples spent eight years with the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS), holding a variety of high level executive positions including Associate Chief Council (International) and Assistant to Commissioner Margaret Milner Richardson.

"By joining EY, the former BSM professionals together with EY's IRW team will be able to deliver a suite of globally integrated IRW services that are not available anywhere else in the marketplace," said Staples, now a Principal in the Financial Services Organization of Ernst & Young LLP. "There is no one-size-fits-all reporting and compliance solution, but we have the global capabilities, knowledge, technology and resources to help organizations navigate the tax reporting challenges, whether large or small, that they may face anywhere in the world."

In addition to John Staples, the following individuals have joined EY from BSM:

-  Philip Garlett joined BSM in 2006 from the IRS, where he rose to Special Counsel to the Deputy Associate Chief Counsel (Strategic International Programs) and the Deputy Associate Chief Counsel (International Field Service and Litigation) in the Office of Associate Chief Counsel (International). He was a key drafter of the U.S. withholding and information reporting regulations, as well as the Qualified Intermediary Agreement. From 2001 to 2005, Garlett headed the Harmful Tax Practices Unit at the OECD in Paris.

- Jonathan Jackel has been an advocate for government and private clients, litigating tax cases and planning international financial structures. His expertise includes the implementation of cost basis reporting issues for debt instruments, options, wash sales, short sales, and securities lending. He has advised on FATCA compliance for both domestic and foreign clients and helps financial institutions and individual clients with foreign bank account reporting (FBAR) issues, including disclosures of past noncompliance to the IRS. Jackel writes the "Eye on FATCA" column for Tax Notes International.

- Forbes Maner has been a partner with BSM since its founding. He has focused primarily on controversy issues, including tax audits and litigation. He has handled tax and non-tax controversies since 1978, with approximately half of his experience on tax cases. His experience includes oil and gas pricing cases, environmental compliance cases, and Freedom of Information Act issues in state and federal agencies and courts.

- Evan Wamsley joined BSM in 2010. He advises foreign and domestic clients on a variety of withholding tax and international tax matters, particularly FATCA implementation. Previously, he spent eight years with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP.

In addition to the above, Dan Burt will be engaged as a consultant.  Burt previously served as Attorney-Advisor to the International Tax Counsel to the US Treasury and then to the Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Tax. He supervised the development of legislation, regulations and IRS revenue rulings and negotiated on behalf of the US with foreign tax authorities. He advises clients on complex international tax issues.

About EY

EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

EY refers to the global organization and may refer to one or more of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young LLP, an EY member firm serving clients in the US. For more information, please visit ey.com.

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