Student team wins $2,000 in first-ever UHY, Ilitch Business tax case competition
There are some things money simply can’t buy, and experience is one of them. Three students from Wayne State University’s Mike Ilitch School of Business received both – invaluable experience and money – after taking first place in the school’s first-ever “Taxitition” tax case competition.
This year’s winning team of finance and accounting students, aka the “Write-off Warriors,” David Borg, Brian Boeskool and Golam Tanzim, took home the top prize of $2,000.
In partnership with UHY, a leading national CPA firm with offices in Wayne, Oakland, Washtenaw and Macomb counties, the Ilitch School hosted the three-day case study competition Nov. 14-16. The goal was to help students learn why understanding taxes is so important in the corporate world.
“There is a huge unmet demand in the job market for tax accountants. This competition gave our students the opportunity to simulate real-world conditions in a friendly, competitive environment,” said Matthew Roling, Wayne State’s accounting department chair. “The teams had to be focused, creative and think on their feet. UHY’s investment in this program shows how much they care about our students’ success.”
The competition was broken into three parts. On day one, students gathered to hear about the case study and begin working on their presentations. On day two, they met with UHY mentors to review their progress with seasoned tax professionals and refine their answers. On the competition’s third and final day, the teams presented their solutions to a panel of judges comprised of UHY professionals and Ilitch School faculty. Each team had 20 minutes to present and a 10-minute Q&A session.
“We were impressed by all of the participants; their thought process and analytic skills exceeded our expectations. The winning team edged out their competitors by combining a strong advisory approach with a polished presentation,” said Tom Callan, CEO of UHY’s Great Lakes Region.
This year’s winning team earned a $2,000 cash prize as well as lunch with Callan at the Detroit Athletic Club. The second-place team earned $100 for each member.
