Federal Tax Conference (IN-PERSON)

Robert Lickwar Jr.

Bob has over 30 years of experience as a practicing CPA, andhas worked exclusively with privately held businesses and owners to provide compliance services and sophisticated tax planning strategies including like-kind exchanges, tax-efficient workouts and restructurings, reorganizations and estate planning services. Bob is also a nationally recognized presenter on various tax issues and is a well-known discussion leader providing continuing education seminars to tax professionals. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: •Extensive experience in dealing with tax authorities at both the federal and state levels •Develops tax-favored and other retirement plans for clients •Assists in developing tax efficient succession transitions, including acquisitions and sales of businesses •Expertise in the taxation of small businesses and their owners, specializing in many areas of domestic taxation, including real estate, multi-state, business and individual taxation BACKGROUND: •Licensed CPA in the state of Connecticut •M.S. in Taxation, University of Hartford •B.S. in Accounting, Central Connecticut State University THOUGHT LEADERSHIP: •Nationally recognized presenter on Federal and State Taxation issues •Quoted in “Everything to Know About the New $3,000 Child Tax Credit”, U.S. News & World Report, March 2021 •Moderated “The CARES Act and Its Impact on Your Business and Benefit Plans”, UHY Webinar, February 2021 •Quoted in “IRS backlog causing problems for taxpayers”, Marketplace, February 2021 •Quoted in “IRS Rule Would Make Managing Trusts, Estates More Efficient”, Bloomberg Tax, May 2020 •Speaker for Berlin Continuing Adult Education small business seminars •Speaker for Farmington Continuing Adult Education small business seminars •Local radio station tax expert guest •Received the Author Award from the Connecticut Society of CPA’s State Tax Committee •Articles featured in the Taxation for Accountants, The Journal of Accountancy, and local newspapers

Joseph McCarthy

Joe has worked for the Internal Revenue Service for over 30 years. He began as a Revenue Agent auditing self-employed individuals and small businesses. During that time, he worked primarily on tax civil cases but was also a cooperating Agent on a number of criminal investigations. Currently Joe is the Stakeholder Liaison for and does outreach to tax professional organizations and their membership in New England. Joe has been a long-time speaker at numerous fall CPE seminars in the northeast. Joe has a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Quinnipiac College and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Lauren Pfingstag Vahey

Lauren Pfingstag Vahey is a Director - Congressional & Political Affairs at the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (the Association, also includes and referred to as AICPA) in Washington, DC. She joined the Association in late 2019. In this role, she is responsible for advocating on behalf of the accounting profession - with a particular focus on federal tax policy - before Congress and the Administration.

Prior to joining the AICPA, Lauren served as an Associate Director for Government Relations and Public Policy for the International Franchise Association (IFA). Prior to joining the IFA, Lauren worked on the Hill as a congressional policy advisor for nearly ten years. She worked for Rep. Gus M. Bilirakis (R-FL) from 2009-2012 before joining Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-ME) from 2013 – 2018. In her time as a congressional aide, Lauren covered tax, financial services, trade, budget, housing and aging policy portfolios.

Lauren obtained her M.B.A. from the University of Maryland (College Park, MD) and her B.A. from Bowdoin College (Brunswick, ME).