University of Southern California Takes Top Honors at 16th Annual Deloitte FanTAXtic National Case Study Competition

Nine student teams participate in tax business simulation contest held at Deloitte University

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Jan 25, 2017, 07:00 ET

WESTLAKE, Texas, Jan. 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A team of students from University of Southern California claimed victory at the Deloitte FanTAXtic case study competition by presenting the best analysis on a complex, issues-driven business tax case. The national finals were held Jan. 13-15 at Deloitte University, Deloitte's landmark campus for learning and leadership development.

Deloitte FanTAXtic 2017 winner, the University of Southern California (from left to right): Deloitte Tax Managing Director Jason Hakerem and USC's Michael Shelton, Ingrid Waung, Tiffany Soto, Meng Shen, Li-Min Ko and Professor Joseph Keller

"I applaud all of the students on their hard work and creative thinking to solve this year's business case challenge," said Tod Smith, chief talent officer, Deloitte Tax LLP. "This competition helps cultivate future tax leaders, who will require a diverse skillset and innovative mindset to thrive in business."

Competition results

First place team: Li-Min Ko, Michael Shelton, Meng Shen, Tiffany Soto and Ingrid Waung each received $2,000 in scholarship money, and University of Southern California received a $10,000 institutional award.
Second place team: University of North Carolina Charlotte received $1,000 per student and a $5,000 institutional award.
Third place team: University of Texas at Austin received $500 per student and a $2,500 institutional award.
The other teams that participated were: Boston College, University of Iowa, Marquette University, The Ohio State University, St. John Fisher College and the College of William & Mary.

"FanTAXtic allows for accounting students to interact with peers from other colleges and universities and to get insight and direction from knowledgeable professionals who judge the competition," said Joseph Keller, faculty advisor, University of Southern California team. "This year's case study allowed participants to tackle a true-to-life challenge, preparing our students to enter the accounting profession. We truly appreciate Deloitte's dedication to developing the next generation of tax professionals."

"The Deloitte Foundation is proud to support the annual FanTAXtic competition. It is one of many initiatives, including competitions in the areas of consulting, advisory and audit, supported by the Deloitte Foundation to develop the talent of the future. By engaging students in the challenges facing today's tax professionals as well as prospective trends, they are better prepared for careers in tax," said Tonie Leatherberry, president, Deloitte Foundation. "Based on the showing of talent at this year's event, the future of tax is bright."

Each of the nine teams participating in the national competition won the Deloitte FanTAXtic contest in their respective U.S. regions. Prior to the final competition, 60 teams representing 43 colleges and universities participated in regional qualifier events in 13 Deloitte offices throughout the US, Nov. 11-12, 2016.

Deloitte FanTAXtic originated in 2002 and is designed to familiarize students with the tax profession early in their academic careers. To learn more about Deloitte FanTAXtic, please email [email protected].

About Deloitte Foundation
The Deloitte Foundation, founded in 1928, is a not-for-profit organization that supports education in the U.S. through a variety of initiatives that help develop the talent of the future and their influencers and promote excellence in teaching, research and curriculum innovation. The foundation sponsors an array of national programs relevant to a variety of professional services, benefitting students and educators. For more information, please visit the Deloitte Foundation web page at www.deloitte.com/us/df.

About Deloitte Tax LLP
Deloitte Tax helps clients lead the transformation of the tax function into a strategic partner that supports growth and sustained profitability within an organization. With deep experience across a broad range of services and industries, Deloitte Tax has more than 10,000 trusted advisors who combine their knowledge of tax technical resources and technology to uncover insights and smarter solutions for clients in today's complex global and regulatory environment. For more information visit www.deloitte.com/us/tax. Join us on twitter @DeloitteTax.

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