Diversity Sought to Address Shortage of Corporate Tax Professionals

While there may be two things that are definite "death and taxes," a new Web site is betting on the demand for more corporate professionals to deal with the latter.  Tony Santiago, owner of Tax Search, Inc. and TaxTalent.com, recently launched TaxDiversity.com, a collaborative tax profession project focused on improving the diversity of both minorities and women in the tax profession as the traditional white male population begins to retire in large numbers.

"As a recruiting firm and industry resource, we saw a lack of diversity particularly among minorities in the tax profession, as well as a lack of women in senior leadership roles," says Santiago. "With the number of retirees increasing fast and a long retraining time required for new hires, we must reach out to all populations quickly or there could be dire consequences. While individual companies have developed certain initiatives, no one has stepped up to create a comprehensive plan encompassing the entire tax profession."

A recent survey of U.S. tax professionals conducted by the company found that more than 68 percent said that racial diversity at the senior executive level within the tax profession was below average or poor, and nearly half said that the availability of support systems to promote diversity among tax professionals was below average or poor.

TaxDiversity.com, offers students and professionals an opportunity to view job openings, participate in forums, read case studies, watch video commentary from successful minority tax professionals and more. The initiative will expected to reach beyond the Web to minority colleges to educate undergraduates about the benefits of a tax career, set up scholarships, and provide mentors to those who are interested in the profession. The initiative will also open communication to help women break the barriers into senior positions.

Santiago points out that TaxDiversity.com will offer services designed to help organizations improve their company's diversity strategy. The initiative has already attracted the support of many industry professionals and organizations that all have a vested interest in increasing the number of diverse workers.

"The fact remains that the tax profession is not fairly representative of the population. In fact, the population of non-white professionals at some meetings can sometimes be counted on one hand," says Maurice Agresta, tax counsel and vice president of public affairs for United Parcel Service. "I think it's about time that we dedicate more time and efforts to this aspect of the profession."

For more information, visit www.taxdiversity.com