You are invited to participate in the August 15-17, 2001 Tax Information Group for EC Requirements Standardization (TIGERS) meeting in Spokane, Washington. TIGERS is a workgroup that is a part of the Accredited Standards Committee X12 (chartered by the American National Standards Institute) and develops and maintains tax electronic technical format standards for a variety of governmental reporting applications.

Please refer to the Federation of Tax Administrators Web Site for more details on TIGERS, and to www.X12.org for details on ASC X12/ANSI.

TIGERS is currently addressing the use of XML as a data transformation tool, including efforts to develop standard XML schema as guidance for tax agencies. As well, it is scheduled to discuss the creation of data file format standards for the sourcing of wireless communications.

8:00 am - 2:00 pm . . . . ASC X12 / TIGERS Tax Information Task Group -- Wireless Standards
Data Format Standards for Sourcing of Wireless Transactions - with FTA/MTC Wireless Committee

2:00 pm - 5:00 pm . . . . ASC X12 / TIGERS Tax Information Task Group -- eXtensible Markup Language (XML) Standards

• discussion of Base Schema
• standard names (XML tags)
• Core Components
• Schema User Guide

9:00 am - 5:00 pm . . . . ASC X12 / TIGERS Work Sessions -- eXtensible Markup Language (XML) Standards

• Base XML Schema Discussion
• Income - Derived Schema
• Sales - Derived Schema
• Payroll - Derived Schema
• Motor Fuel - Derived Schema

9:00 am - 12 Noon . . . . ASC X12 / TIGERS Work Sessions (continued) -- eXtensible Markup Language (XML) Standards

The Federation of Tax Administrators 17th Annual Technology Conference and Exhibition will be held August 12-15, 2001, in Spokane, Washington, at the West Coast Grand Hotel at the Park.

There will be a meeting of the ASC X12/TIGERS Group from August 15-17. This government and industry group develops electronic standards and has made progress on XML guidance for tax administrators and providers that will be reviewed at the meeting. There is no registration fee for the TIGERS meeting. This takes place at the conclusion of the FTA Technology Conference and Exhibition occurring August 12-15. Conference and exhibit information is also provided on the FTA home page at www.taxadmin.org.

REGISTRATION

There is no registration fee for the TIGERS meeting. For space planning purposes,. please message Jonathan Lyon of FTA at jonathan.lyon@taxadmin.,org if you intend to attend.

MAKE YOUR HOTEL RESERVATIONS NOW

Group Rates are: Government - $63 single ($10additional adult), Industry - $92 single/double, plus a $2.75 per room, per night energy charge. Make your reservations directly with the hotel by calling 800-325-4000 or 509-326-8000 and request the Federation of Tax Administrators rate, specifying "government" or "industry." Early registration is urged as the block tends to fill quickly. The cut-off date for hotel reservations is July 18. Rooms may not be available after that date. The hotel's fax number is: 509-325-7329.

GROUND TRANSPORTATION

The hotel offers a free shuttle; call them for more information. Trip duration each way is about 15 minutes (non-rush).

WEATHER

The weather in Spokane in August is normally warm during the day (it can be in the 90s). Dress for the sessions will be business casual, meaning collared shirts and slacks for men but no ties. There will be a variety of interesting things to do and see in Spokane during the meeting dates. You may want to check for more information at: http:visitspokane.com/.