Annette Nellen
Photo by David Schmitz

The American Institute of CPAs has named Annette Nellen, CPA, CGMA, Esq., chair of its Tax Executive Committee. Nellen is the director of San Jose State University’s (SJSU) graduate tax program and a professor in the program. She teaches courses in tax policy, high-tech tax, property transactions, employment tax, accounting methods, ethics and tax research.

The AICPA Tax Executive Committee is authorized to act on behalf of the Institute in tax matters and oversees the work of the 14 other tax committees and technical resource panels. Its members represent CPAs working in accounting firms of all sizes, business and industry, and academia. Prior to becoming chair, Nellen served as vice chair of the Tax Executive Committee; her appointment was effective October 25.  Nellen succeeds Troy K. Lewis, whose term as chair began in October 2014.

“Annette is a strong leader with exceptional insights about the effect of the tax law on individual and business taxpayers from her decades of experience as a tax practitioner, IRS agent and educator,” said Edward S. Karl, CPA, CGMA, AICPA vice president of taxation. “She is a nationally recognized tax policy expert who has testified before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee and U.S. House Ways and Means Committee about various aspects of federal tax reform. Her expertise has been invaluable as a member of the AICPA’s Tax Reform Task Force. The entire AICPA membership will benefit from Annette’s leadership.”

Nellen has been an AICPA volunteer for more than 20 years. In addition to serving on the Tax Executive Committee for six years, she has chaired and been a member of the AICPA Individual and Self-Employed Tax Technical Resource Panel. She has also been a member of the Tax Policy and Simplification Committee, Tax Legislation Task Force, the Partnership Taxation Committee, the Tax Accounting Committee and the Tax Forms Committee. She was the lead author of the AICPA’s 2001 tax policy concept statement #1, Guiding Principles of Good Tax Policy: A Framework for Evaluating Tax Proposals, which is still in use today. Nellen is a monthly contributor to the AICPA Tax Insider e-newsletter.

The AICPA Tax Division recognized Nellen’s dedicated service in 2013 by awarding her the Arthur J. Dixon Memorial Award, which is the highest award given by the accounting profession in the area of taxation.