Introduce Tax to Students Early to Boost Tax Talent Pipeline

Tax law often is considered best for masochistic accountants and those who’d prefer Microsoft Excel and a box of receipts as their ideal desert island companions. There are myriad reasons the tax law has garnered this reputation, but I believe chief among them is how most people encounter the subject for the first time.

Most law students are introduced to tax in their 2L or 3L year, usually as a cautionary tale about some professor’s intimidating approach to federal income tax. Chances are they’re not going to embrace the idea of risking their GPA on such a diversion.

But tax needn’t be unapproachable, nor presented through the rote recitation of the code or the elements of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, or EBITDA. Tax can be more interesting than what qualifies as a business expense—characters, stories, economics, and a robust body of problems to solve through inventive policy.

Tax Theory 101

I teach an introductory course on tax theory and policy at Drexel Kline School of Law. It’s a discussion-based class that examines the policy motivations and implications for tax initiatives.

The course is structured into two broad categories—introductory material lays out the foundational policy and theoretical knowledge to interpret modern tax problems. From there, modular classes tackle one issue per session—such as issues with tax filing, addressing wealth inequality through tax policy, and the pitfalls of financing sports venues with public funds.

Through the course, students can approach tax policy through real-world implications, not just through the 7,000-page tax code. This reflects how the public first encounters tax policy—by paying taxes or being on the receiving end of a benefit afforded by tax policy.

Drexel Kline is an interesting test bed, as one of the few universities to offer an undergraduate degree in law through its law school. The program envisions entry points for talent in the legal profession by introducing the legal field and its breadth of potential career paths right out of high school, rather than cabining that information behind a four-year degree and the LSAT.

All that can be said of academic isolation of the law is doubly true of tax—even lawyers view it as an esoteric discipline. My class seeks to address misconceptions about tax law and who it was and wasn’t “for.” We’re all subject to taxation, so no one should feel a rigorous understanding of tax policy (and the theory that reinforces it) is outside of their grasp or, worse still, not for them to question at all.

Teaching students about policy early allows them to independently arrive at questions such as what is and isn’t a write-off, and the folly of tax policy that fails to properly understand the nature of the transactions it aims to tax—or the cultural mores of the society the policy is applied to.

All this is accomplished without requiring an accounting background or a juris doctor—much less an LL.M. in taxation.

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Photo Illustration: Jonathan Hurtarte/Bloomberg Tax; Photos: Getty Images

Early Exposure

Early exposure to complex subjects such as law and tax law can reshape students’ career trajectories. Introducing these disciplines to undergraduates dismantles the perception that they’re inaccessible or meant only for those with specialized backgrounds, such as accounting or advanced mathematics.

An undergraduate course in tax demystifies the field and gives students a taste of what a tax career could offer. By exposing them to the broad concepts and jargon of tax earlier in their education, we can help diversify the pool of future professionals in the field or, at the very least, foster a public that’s better informed on a huge function of government.

Preventing Brain Drain

The pool of applicants in the field of tax has suffered from a brain drain. The sustainability of the legal and tax professions hinges on their ability to attract and nurture a diverse range of talent. Programs such as Drexel’s undergraduate law initiative and specialized courses on tax theory and policy can be blueprints for making education more inclusive in those fields.

By lowering the barriers to entry and dismantling preconceived notions, along with the efforts of generations of gatekeepers regarding what it takes to enter these fields, we can create a more robust, diverse, and dynamic applicant pool. Perhaps this could lead to more equitable legal systems and tax policies that reflect the broad array of perspectives we’ve cultivated.

To make this future a reality, more educational institutions and professional bodies must proactively adopt and promote similar early-intervention programs.

Andrew Leahey is a tax and technology attorney, principal at Hunter Creek Consulting, and adjunct professor at Drexel Kline School of Law. Follow him on Mastodon at @andrew@esq.social.