The COBAE maintains academic centers as resources to encourage teaching, curriculum development, and interaction between the College and the business community.
College of Business and Economics (COBAE) maintains centers and academic programs as a resource to encourage curriculum development, research, and interaction among academic disciplines.
Centers and Institutes
Bookstein Institute for Higher Education in Taxation
Rafi Efrat, Director
List Advisory Board or Community Board Members:
- David Benz, Partner, WTAS
- Harvey Bookstein, Co-Managing Partner, RBZ, LLP
- James R. Chevalier, Partner, Moss Adams, LLP
- Jim DeBree, Partner, Deloitte, LLP
- Keith Dolabson, Managing Director, Partner, WTAS
- Sharyn M. Fisk, Principal, Hochman, Salkin, Rettig, Toscher & Perez
- Michael S. Fredlender, Michael S. Fredlender, CPA, A Professional Corporation
- George Gans, Partner, Deloitte, LLP
- James Givens, Partner, Ernst & Young, LLP
- Robert Grimes, Partner, Ernst & Young, LLP
- Mark Hutchison, Partner,Rothstein Kass, LLP
- Robert Johnson, Partner, McGladrey & Pullen
- Sandy Kadekian, Director of Global Tax, THQ, Inc.
- Moshe J. Kushman, Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP
- William M. LaVere, Director, Income-Franchise Tax, Ryan & Company
- Craig Morris, Partner, KPMG
- Charlie Osaki, Principal, RBZ, LLP
- Tom A. Pucci, Partner, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, LLP
- Todd R. Reinstein, Of Counsel, Ervin Cohen & Jessup, LLP
- Robin N. Rousselet, President and CEO of Rousselet Accountancy
- Carl H. Sasaki, Partner, BDO Seidman, LLP
- Leslie Sobol, Tax Manager, Hinton, Kreditor & Gronroos, LLP
- Jacob Stein, Partner, Klueger & Stein, LLP
- Norm Tamkin, Partner, Holthouse Carlin & Van Trigt, LLP
- Andy Torosyan, Partner, Holthouse Carlin & Van Trigt, LLP
- Mark Tracht, Territory Manager, Internal Revenue Service
Mission
The Institute's mission is to serve as the focal point for tax-education within the College of Business and Economics at California State University, Northridge. It serves as the hub for education, scholarship and community service in taxation in the Greater San Fernando Valley.
Over the next 12 months, the Institute will carry out its mission by welcoming to campus a new cohort for the gradaute tax program, offering scholarships to graduate and undergraduate students pursuing a career in tax, publishing the next edition of the student-run Tax Development Journal, and offering free tax service to low income taxpayers in the community.
Vision
Expand the services and support offered to students, faculty and members of the community in the area of tax.
Objectives
A. Promotes advanced education in the area of taxation through the support of a skills-based, practice oriented Masters of Science in taxation:
B. Supports professional growth and development of students pursuing a career in the field of taxation.
C. Facilitates the pursuit of scholarly projects in the field of taxation.
D. Facilitates service learning opportunities for our students in taxation through partnerships with community organizations.
Strategies
A. Promotes advanced education in the area of taxation through the support of a skills-based, practice oriented Masters of Science in taxation:
- Admit the 5th cohort of our graduate tax program composed of 30 mid-career tax professionals for the fall 2011 semester.
- Conduct an Advisory Board meeting in October 2011.
- Develop and implement an assessment plan for the graduate tax program for the 2011-12 academic year.
B. Supports professional growth and development of students pursuing a career in the field of taxation.
- Select and award at least 5 scholarships of $2,000 or more to admitted graduate tax students.
- Solicit donations from local firms for scholarship awards.
C. Facilitates the pursuit of scholarly projects in the field of taxation.
- Reward faculty in the graduate tax program who publish articles.
- Issue the third edition of the Tax Development Journal.
D. Facilitates service learning opportunities for our students in taxation through partnerships with community organizations.
- Offer service learning opportunities in the field of federal tax controversy to 60 undergraduate accounting and graduate tax students.
- Train 10 undergraduate accounting and graduate tax students to facilitate educational workshops on payroll tax to small business owners in the community.
- Represent 120 low income taxpayers facing controversies with the IRS.
- Facilitate 25 educational tax seminars to low income, small business owners, and immigrant taxpayers.
- Submit two applications for external funding from the U.S. Treasury Department to support the activities of the Bookstein Tax Clinic.
- Launch the new website for the Bookstein Institute and the Bookstein Tax Clinic.
- Disseminate two editions of the E-Newsletter (2 editions) for the Bookstein Institute.
Accomplishments
The Institute's distinguishing strength has been in the area of community service to low income taxpayers facing problems with the IRS. With the help of undergraduate and graduate tax students, the Institute has become the largest organization in Los Angeles County to offer such services in the community.
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program
Cathy Jeppson, Director
List Advisory Board or Community Board Members: Not available
Mission
The mission is to be a valued community partner in the culturally and linguistically diverse San Fernando Valley area. The VITA program provides timely and relevant federal and state information to the community concerning taxpayers’ rights and responsibilities. In addition, this program satisfies the widespread need for free tax return assistance, primarily for low-income individuals, senior citizens, non-English-speaking individuals, and the disabled located in CSUN’s surrounding community.
For further information, please click here.
VITA's Mission to the Community
The mission of the California State University, Northridge, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program is to be a valued community partner in the culturally and linguistically diverse San Fernando Valley area. The VITA program provides timely and relevant federal and state information to the community concerning taxpayers’ rights and responsibilities. In addition, this program satisfies the widespread need for free tax return assistance, primarily for low-income individuals, senior citizens, non-English-speaking individuals, and the disabled located in CSUN’s surrounding community.
Training Experience with VITA
Before going into the field, volunteers attend a 24-hour training program during January. Through this program, Students gain valuable “hands-on” experience preparing federal and state tax returns, and they learn the important skills required to service a VITA site. In addition, all students receive CSUN course credit.
Advance courses are available for volunteers with prior experience. These advance courses will train students to become VITA site supervisors. Volunteers with no prior experience will receive two units of credit. Supervisors will receive three units of credit.
Volunteer Protection
The Volunteer Protection Act of 1997, Public Law 105-19, protects volunteers from liability for negligent acts they perform within the scope of their responsibilities in the organization for who they volunteer. The Act excludes conduct that is willful or criminal, grossly negligent, or reckless, or that constitutes a conscious, vagrant indifference to the rights or safety of the individual potentially harmed by the volunteer. Click Here to Download Details
Links to Government Tax Agencies
http://www.irs.gov/
http://www.ftb.ca.gov/
Important Links
Federal Tax Return
CA Tax Return
IRS News
The Bookstein Tax Clinic
The Bookstein Institute for Higher Education in Taxation offers a number of tax related services to the public through the generous matching support from the U.S. Treasury Department. The Bookstein Tax Clinic offers the following services to eligible members of the public:
Speaker Service
The Bookstein Tax Clinic sponsors free seminars to the public on various tax issues. Through these seminars, the Institute hopes to educate taxpayers about their rights and responsibilities. If interested, please complete the Tax Workshop Request Form and fax it back to the Bookstein Clinic at (818) 677- 4892, or contact the Bookstein Tax Clinic by phone at (818) 677-3600 to arrange for a clinician to come and speak to your organization about particular tax topics. These topics may include (but not limited to):
- Federal Earned Income Tax Credit
- Dependent Exemptions
- Payroll taxes
- Small business taxes
Issue Resolution with IRS
The Bookstein Tax Clinic provides assistance to qualified taxpayers with free consultation and representation on tax matters relating to disputes with the Internal Revenue Services. Assistance may include on topics such as:
- IRS collection
- Earned income credit
- Filing status and dependents
- Failure to file returns
- Innocent spouse status
- Independent contractor/employee
- Liens and levies
- Installment agreements and offers in compromise
- Penalty waivers
- Refund
Tax Audits
The Bookstein Tax Clinic provides free assistance to qualified individual and small business taxpayers relating to IRS audits, examinations and appeals.
For more information about the services offered through the Bookstein Tax Clinic, please call (818) 677-3600 or visit it on the web.