As Senior Program Manager at Tax Forum, Michelle Petrus oversees the behind the scenes logistics that make our live, virtual, and self study programs run seamlessly. Her long term commitment has played a key role in the growth and success of our two signature offerings—Tax Planning Forum® and Fundamentals of Flow Through®.

We sat down with Michelle to chat about how Tax Forum programming has evolved, what new courses are coming online, and the value of the Premier Partner Program.

Tell us about your role at Tax Forum.
At Tax Forum, my role spans program registration, event logistics, customer service, and marketing. For our virtual programs, I also guide attendees through the experience and help set expectations. Overall, I focus on making sure every program runs smoothly and delivers a positive experience.

What I enjoy most about my role is connecting with people. I get to know attendees and also spend a great deal of time speaking with learning and development leaders. Hearing their perspectives on the industry and building lasting relationships—especially with our many long-time attendees, is incredibly rewarding.

Tax Forum programming has changed throughout the years. Can you tell us about that evolution?
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Tax Planning Forum and the 31st anniversary of the Fundamentals of Flow Through. Before COVID 19, we offered in person programs across the country. During the pandemic, we transitioned to virtual programming. Today, we offer virtual programs along with Tax Forum in person sessions in Las Vegas and Orlando and a Fundamentals in-person session in Las Vegas.

I’ve been with the Tax Forum for 11 years, and some attendees have been joining us for more than 35. Participants can earn up to 20 CPE, CLE, or CE credits through a single program, which is a distinctive offering in the market.

While many attendees prefer the virtual format, others continue to value the in person experience for the opportunity to engage directly with our faculty—Chuck Levun, Michael Cohen, and Scott Miller.

Tell us more about the faculty and what they bring to the programs.
Our faculty are deeply committed to their work and invest significant time in developing and refining each program and bringing them to life, with the Tax Forum program being brand new every year; that’s quite an undertaking. Chuck and Michael bring years of presentation experience and the ability to make complex topics easy to understand, and Scott—our newest faculty member—has been an outstanding addition, following right in their footsteps. The faculty’s expertise is exceptional, and watching them work together is impressive. They are highly driven and deeply knowledgeable, and I love their goals – showing that the use of tax and fun in the same sentence is not an oxymoron and striving to make our attendees the “go-to” persons for their clients.

Besides the virtual and in person courses, Tax Forum has launched new programming this year.
We already offer QAS self study courses, each providing 1–3 credit hours, but this month we’ve launched the Fundamentals of Flow-Through course in a self-study format, providing 24 CPE or 19 CE credits. This allows participants to break the course into segments and complete the course over a longer period that fits their schedules. It’s especially beneficial for our international participants who may find it difficult to attend virtual or live sessions because of time zone differences.

Tell us about Tax Forum’s Premier Partner Program.
For larger accounting/consulting firms, the Premier Partner Program offers significant value. It includes a flat-rate registration option for up to 100 attendees (and a much reduced price for each attendee in excess of 100), along with personalized support for logistics and registration. It’s an ideal solution for firms that do not have in-house advanced training programs that are focused on flow-through taxation.

In addition, Premier Partners receive 10 complimentary 1-3 credit hour self-study courses and a 15% discount on additional self-study offerings. Over the years, many firms have participated in our Premier Partner program, with some for more than 20 years. Overall, this special program provides high-quality flow-through tax education at an exceptional value.

I am very fortunate to be involved in Tax Forum’s endeavor to be the go-to source for flow-through taxation education. I welcome any questions that attendees or potential attendees might have.