Josh Gelernter, Manager – International Tax Consulting, Grant Thornton LLP to Speak at Knowledge Congress’ Live Webcast

New York, NY, May 29, 2015 --(PR.com)-- The Knowledge Group/The Knowledge Congress Live Webcast Series, the leading producer of regulatory focused webcasts, has announced today that Josh Gelernter, Manager – International Tax Consulting, Grant Thornton LLP will speak at a 2-hour webcast entitled “FATCA for Government Agencies: What You Need to Know in 2015 LIVE Webcast” This two-hour event is scheduled on June 30, 2015 from 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm (ET).

For further details and updated list of speakers, please visit:
http://theknowledgegroup.org/event_name/fatca-for-government-agencies-what-you-need-to-know-in-2015-live-webcast/

Event Synopsis:

In an effort to increase tax compliance and head off potential tax evasion activities of U.S. citizens abroad, the 111th United States Congress has enacted the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) on March 18, 2010. It requires foreign financial institutions (FFIs) to report to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) the information on the financial assets held by U.S. persons overseas. A number of countries such as Canada, France, and Japan have signed intergovernmental agreements (IGAs) with the U.S. to strengthen the implementation and compliance of the countries’ respective financial institutions.

This continuous advancement of FATCA as a standard business procedure poses a critical need for Governments and tax authorities to establish robust practices that will ensure risk mitigation and compliance management. They must integrate a comprehensive solution that will address various FATCA legal and data complexity issues which are expected to arise if they want to succeed in implementing FATCA. It is significant they develop forceful solution selection process to maximize opportunities FATCA Solution market offers.

In this two-hour live Webcast, a panel of distinguished professionals and thought leaders will help Governments and tax authorities understand the important aspects of this significant topic. They will provide an in-depth discussion of FATCA implementation as well as related issues. Speakers will also offer best practices in developing and implementing an effective FATCA Solution Selection Process.

Key issues include that will be covered in this course are:

- FATCA – An Overview
- Effective FATCA Solution for Reporting and Compliance
- Legal and Data Issues Expected to Arise
- Government and Tax Authority Requirements
- What the Market Offers

About Josh Gelernter

Josh is an experienced manager in Grant Thornton’s New York office. Josh has over 8 years of experience advising some of the largest multi-national companies on numerous cross-border transactions and multi-country tax planning opportunities, including inbound investment into the United States. Josh has assisted a Fortune 100 company on a multi-national tax efficient supply chain management restructuring. He also managed a multi-billion dollar spin-off, assisting the new company with its tax registrations in Europe, Asia and South America. He has also assisted a large retail company with its global tax compliance. Josh has advised a variety of clients on their FATCA obligations and due diligence requirements. He has performed entity classification analyses, registered FFIs on the IRS FATCA portal, analyzed payments to foreign payees to determine whether withholding was required and at what rates and prepared and reviewed withholding tax certifications.

Prior to joining Grant Thornton, he was a manager in Ernst & Young’s international tax practice in the New York office for 6 years before transferring to the New Jersey international tax practice. Josh is a member of the New York state bar association.

Josh received his Juris Doctor degree from Fordham University School of Law. He also received his B.A. Accounting degree from City University of New York – Queens College.

About Grant Thornton LLP

Founded in Chicago in 1924, Grant Thornton LLP (Grant Thornton) is the U.S. member firm of Grant Thornton International Ltd, one of the world’s leading organizations of independent audit, tax and advisory firms. Grant Thornton has revenue in excess of $1.3 billion and operates 57 offices across the United States with more than 500 partners and 6,000 employees.

Grant Thornton works with a broad range of publicly and privately held companies, government agencies, financial institutions, and civic and religious organizations. Core industries served include consumer and industrial products, financial services, not-for-profit, private equity, and technology. Grant Thornton focuses on serving dynamic organizations that pursue growth holistically — whether through revenue improvement, leadership, mission fulfillment, or innovation.

Grant Thornton supports the kinds of policies that allow these companies to reach their full potential and is particularly qualified to serve clients in the middle market that face the challenges of growth and expansion. By fostering responsible entrepreneurship, Grant Thornton helps these organizations grow and fuel a thriving economy.

About The Knowledge Group, LLC/The Knowledge Congress Live Webcast Series

The Knowledge Congress is a series of live webcasts produced by The Knowledge Group, LLC, which examine trends, regulatory, and technology changes across a variety of industries. Its mission is to produce unbiased, objective, and educational live webcasts that examine industry trends and regulatory changes from a variety of different perspectives. The goal is to deliver a unique multilevel analysis of an important issue affecting business in a highly focused format.

The organization brings together the world's leading authorities and industry participants through informative two-hour webcasts to study the impact of changes and emerging trends. Hear from leading government officials/regulators, key thought leaders, and industry experts objectively analyze the latest trends and issues and their impact on industries.