A five-student team from UNC Charlotte earned second place among nine top-ranked teams in the Deloitte FanTAXtic, Deloitte’s student Tax Case Study Competition, in January.
The UNC Charlotte team earned $1,000 per student and a $5,000 institutional award. The national competition took place Jan. 13-15 at Deloitte University near Dallas, Texas. Team members included accounting majors Rachel Cox, Dylan Edwards, Jessica Howes, Mackenzie Mastrangelo and Stacy Mroz.
Prior to the final competition, 60 teams representing 43 colleges and universities participated in regional qualifier events in 13 Deloitte offices throughout the country Nov. 11-12, 2016. The UNC Charlotte team was named as one of nine regional winners of Deloitte FanTAXtic, advancing to the national competition. In addition, a second UNC Charlotte team finished second in regionals, receiving a national honorable mention.
The students from UNC Charlotte’s Turner School of Accountancy demonstrated the ability to work collaboratively to solve a complex business case simulation. At regionals, the winning team was also recognized for the quality of their overall presentation to a panel of live and virtual judges using the organization’s video conferencing capabilities.
Hughlene Burton, director of the Turner School of Accountancy, noted that UNC Charlotte was one of only two universities with two teams placing in the regional competition.
"I'm really proud of our two student teams, who have prepared thoroughly and are following a long line of UNC Charlotte accounting students who have competed in this event with success for many years. Congratulations on the 2nd place national and 2nd place regional wins. I also recognize Dr. Howard Godfrey and Dr. Casper Wiggins for working with the students to get them ready for the competition."
Sponsored by Deloitte with support from the Deloitte Foundation, Deloitte FanTAXtic is designed to educate and prepare the next generation of tax talent for a career in business and tax. The interactive program includes case simulation, role playing and presentations which provide students with insights and perspectives on challenges facing the profession today, future trends that may impact it tomorrow and the overall changing business tax marketplace. Deloitte Tax professionals participate in the event and offer the students support and guidance throughout the competition.
The Deloitte Foundation, founded in 1928, is a not-for-profit organization which supports education in the U.S. through a variety of initiatives that help develop the talent of the future and their influencers and promote excellence in teaching, research and curriculum innovation. The Foundation sponsors an array of national programs relevant to a variety of professional services, benefiting middle/high school students, undergraduates, graduate students and educators. For more information, please visit the Deloitte Foundation webpage at www.deloitte.com/us/df.
Photo 1: The UNC Charlotte student team accepts their second-place award at the Deloitte FanTAXtic national student Tax Case Study Competition in January 2017. This team included (left to right) accounting majors Stacy Mroz, Dylan Edwards, Mackenzie Mastrangelo, Rachel Cox and Jessica Howes.
Photo 2: The team receiving a national honorable mention in the 2016 Deloitte FanTAXtic competition included (left to right) accounting majors Nicolas Frazer, Kassandra Mangano, Mekenzie Enloe, Jennifer Venuti and Paul Diamond.