KU's graduate team advances to national finals of Deloitte tax competition

OVERLAND PARK -- KU's team of four graduate business students was selected one of the top six in the country at the third annual Deloitte Foundation National Tax Case Study Competition, a regional competition Oct. 16 at the KU Edwards Campus in Overland Park.

The KU team earned the right to compete in the national interscholastic tax contest finals Nov. 19-21 at Orlando, Fla., where the top six teams in graduate and undergraduate divisions will vie for $70,000 in prizes for students and their schools.

The faculty adviser for the KU team is Allen Ford, Larry D. Horner/KPMG distinguished teaching professor of accounting. He plans to accompany the graduate team to Orlando.

The KU group was one of 66 graduate and undergraduate teams from more than 40 colleges and universities that participated in eight regional contests.Other teams competing in the KU regional were the University of Missouri, Columbia; University of Denver; University of Oklahoma, Norman; University of Northern Colorado, Greeley; and University of Iowa at Iowa City.

In the contest, teams of four students each had five hours to research and prepare a writteen solution to a complex hypothetical taxpayer situation using only the Internal Revenue Code and U.S. Treasury regulations. From all entries nationally, the judges selected the top six in each division.

In the national contest, teams that win first prize will earn $1,000 scholarships for each participating student and $10,000 for the school. Other graduate division teams in the national finals with KU are from Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah; University of North Carolina at Charlotte; University of Denver; University of Central Florida at Orlando; and Utah State University at Logan.

The nonprofit Deloitte Foundation supports teaching, research and curriculum innovation in accounting, business and related fields in the United States
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Students, their hometowns, majors, parents or spouses and high schools, if available, are:
BUTLER COUNTY
From Rose Hill
Jeremy Richardson, master's student in accounting and information systems, son of Clint and Ramona Richardson; Rose Hill High School.
SEDGWICK COUNTY
From Derby
Douglas Ryan Briggs, master's student in accounting and information systems, son of Russell and Cindy Briggs; Derby High School.
IOWA
From Marion
Heidi Lynn Landherr, master's student in accounting and information systems, daughter of Ron and Audrey Landherr; Linn-Mar High School.
CHINA
From Beijing
Aiqin Zou, master's degree student in business administration; wife of Xiaobin Zuo.