IFA USA Branch 2024 Writing Competition
- Sponsor: International Fiscal Association (USA Branch)
- Topic: "Any topic relating to U.S. taxation of income from international activities, including taxation under U.S. tax treaties."
- Format in 2024 Writing Competition was: See IFA USA Branch 2024 Writing Competition. "Papers must be no more than 40 typewritten pages in length (double-spaced in 12 pt. font), including footnotes and appendices (both of which may be single-spaced), and in proper citation form."
- Eligibility in 2024 Writing Competition was: "Open to: All students during the 2023-24 academic year (including independent study and summer 2024 school courses) pursuing a graduate degree (J.D., L.L.M., S.J.D., M.S.T., MTA, Masters of Taxation, or similar program). Any appropriate papers written in fall 2023 or spring and summer 2024."
- Note: "Each submitted paper must be sponsored by a professor of the student." "The same professor may serve as the faculty sponsor of no more than three papers submitted for the current Competition." "No more than five papers may be submitted by students from the same school or university for the Competition."
- Prize in 2024 Writing Competition was: "$5,000 cash, plus expenses-paid invitation to the IFA USA Branch Annual Meeting to be held in 2025 for the competition winner as well as the faculty sponsor. The award winner and the academic institution of the competition winner will each receive a one-year membership in the IFA USA Branch." "The winning author, if not already published, will be given publishing opportunities."
- Submission Deadline for the 2024 Writing Prize was: September 30, 2024.
2025 Tannenwald Writing Competition - "Each submitted paper must be sponsored by a law school professor."
- Sponsors: The Theodore Tannenwald, Jr. Foundation for Excellence in Tax Scholarship & The American College of Tax Counsel
- Topic: "Papers on any federal or state tax-related topic may be submitted in accordance with the Competition Rules." Competition Rules state: "Submitted papers must focus primarily upon technical or policy-oriented tax issues relating to any type of existing or proposed U.S. federal or state tax or U.S. federal or state taxation system (including topics relating to tax practice ethical and professional responsibility matters)."
- Format requirements in 2025 Competition include: Competition Rules state: "Papers shall be 25 - 50 typewritten pages in length double-spaced (Times New Roman or Arial typeface), including footnotes and appendices (both of which may be single-spaced). 12 point font size shall be used for text and appendices; 10 point or 12 point font size may be used for footnotes. All margins (top, bottom and sides) shall be at least 1". Same-page footnotes are strongly preferred instead of endnotes. Proper citation forms must be used."
- Eligibility requirements in 2025 Competition include: "The Competition is open to (i) law students, undergraduate (J.D.) or graduate (L.L.M. or S.J.D.), enrolled full or part-time in a U.S. law school during the academic year preceding the competition submission deadline; and (ii) other students enrolled during such academic year in a U.S. law school tax course as part of an MBA or other non-law degree program." "Papers written in connection with a law school course or seminar (including independent study and summer school courses) are eligible for the Competition. Papers based on research or other work done in connection with law firm or other employment are eligible for the Competition, as are papers evolving from moot court or legal clinic involvement. Any such papers, however, must be in the form of a scholarly article. Client-specific work products (e.g., briefs, legal memoranda, opinion letters, etc.) are not acceptable. Student papers submitted for publication in law reviews or other legal journals or periodicals, or for on-line publication, are eligible for the Competition, provided that the version submitted for the Competition shall not reflect any changes (substantive or editorial) made to the paper after submission of the manuscript for any such publication."
- Per-school Limits in 2025 Competition: "No more than 8 papers may be submitted by J.D. students from the same law school. If the school also has an L.L.M. or other graduate tax program, up to an additional 8 papers may be submitted by students in those programs."
- Prizes in 2025 Competition: "Cash prizes of $5,000, $2,500, and $1,500 are typically awarded for the top three papers. Appropriate recognition will also be given to the faculty sponsors of winning papers. The Foundation may, in its discretion, decide to split prizes or award additional prizes."
- Deadline for submitting papers in 2025 Competition: "All papers submitted for the Competition must be received by the Foundation by no later than 9:00 p.m. EDT, July 11, 2025. Please submit the original of each paper (but no additional copies) along with the signed faculty sponsor communication by email. Email your submission to: TannenwaldCompetition@gmail.com"
Tax Notes Student Writing Competition
- Sponsor: Tax Notes
- Topic: "Submissions should focus on an unsettled question in federal, state or international tax law or policy."
- Format requirements include: "Entries should be a minimum of 2,500 words and a maximum of 12,000 words, including footnotes. Citations should be formatted as footnotes in accordance with the current version of The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation."
- Eligibility requirements include: "The competition is open to any student enrolled in a law, business, or public policy program during the 2024-2025 academic year."
- Prizes: "Winning entries are published in Tax Notes’ weekly magazines and winners may receive a 12-month subscription to Tax Notes' daily and weekly products."
- Deadline for submission: "Entries must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. EDT on June 30, 2025."
