Truman State University Takes Top Honors at 19th Annual Deloitte FanTAXtic National Case Study Competition

A team of students from Truman State University claimed victory at the Deloitte FanTAXtic national case study competition by presenting the best analysis on a complex, issues-driven business tax case. This year’s case challenged teams to advise a new business venture on the best way to acquire the engineering expertise required to develop their product in the midst of the pandemic. Teams had to consider how tax and other business issues could impact the optimal strategy. The national finals were held virtually for the first time, on Jan. 15, 2021.

“Congratulations to all of the students that participated in this year’s virtual competition for their creative thinking, collaboration and hard work to solve the complexities of the business case challenge,” said Steve Kimble, chairman and CEO, Deloitte Tax LLP. “These students are truly gaining a real-world business experience and I commend them for skillfully addressing tax challenges that professionals are dealing with on a daily basis, especially in this new virtual format.”

Competition results

First place team: Truman State University
Second place team: University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Third place team: Syracuse University
The other teams that participated were: DePaul University, Gonzaga University, University of Houston, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and University of Missouri, Columbia, and North Carolina State University

“The Deloitte FanTAXtic case competition is a valuable opportunity for students to get a glimpse of life as a tax professional and how those professionals work with clients to help achieve their business goals,” said Stacey Kaden, Associate Professor and Accounting Department Chair, Truman State University. “Students can improve their teamwork, communication, research, and problem-solving skills while getting to network with Deloitte professionals. We are grateful for the opportunity to participate in this competition and Deloitte’s sponsorship and commitment of the program.”

“The FanTAXtic competition continues to offer students an interactive approach to learning that challenges students to apply the skills they have studied in the classroom to a practical tax issue,” said Valerie Dickerson, partner, Deloitte Tax LLP and Deloitte Foundation board member. “I applaud all of the participating students who worked collaboratively — as this year’s competition evolved to a virtual environment — to develop high quality, actionable solutions.”

Each of the nine teams participating in the national competition won the Deloitte FanTAXtic contest in their respective U.S. regions. Before the final competition, nearly 55 teams representing over 40 colleges and universities participated in regional qualifier events virtually on Oct. 30, 2020.

Sponsored by Deloitte Tax LLP and supported by the Deloitte Foundation, FanTAXtic has engaged nearly 6,250 students since inception in 2002 and is designed to educate and prepare the next generation of tax talent for a career in business and tax. T

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