DONALD COOPER OF IOWA WINS
FTA LEADERSHIP AWARD

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       (Washington D.C. April 1, 2004) The Federation of Tax Administrators announced today that Donald R. Cooper, Administrator of the Compliance Division of the Iowa Department of Revenue, is the recipient of the 2004 FTA Award for Leadership and Service. The award is presented each year to an individual who has demonstrated sustained and significant service in the administration of state taxes.

            Presentation of the award will take place during the FTA Annual Meeting, June 6-9, in Providence, Rhode Island. Judging was performed by the Executive Committee of the FTA Board of Trustees.

            The award is presented to Cooper in recognition of the extensive leadership qualities he has displayed throughout his 32 year career at the Iowa Department of Revenue.  Most recently, he led the entire Department as Interim Director from 2002-2003, taking charge while a permanent candidate was being found.  Besides that stint, Cooper has served as Administrator of the Compliance Division of Iowa DOR since 1986, where he leads a team of 150 employees and manages a budget of $11.2 million.  His division is responsible for selecting and reviewing all completed audits and performs all office examination of tax returns for every type of tax assigned to the department.  The Compliance Division also directs Iowa’s initiatives with regard to taxpayer service and education and provides all legislative and policy support for the agency.

       Cooper is also an active participant in the Streamlined Sales Tax project and has provided international mentorship to tax administrators from Aruba, Estonia and South Korea.  He has helped develop several special projects for Iowa over the years, including the Sales Tax Gap for Registered Retailers Study, Field Audit Resolution Project, Corporation Income Tax Model and Iowa Tax Gap Compliance Program.

       Cooper and his Division previously won the FTA Compliance Award in 1998 for the development of an automated billing application called UNIN.

         The Federation of Tax Administrators is a nonprofit organization composed of taxation and revenue departments of the fifty states, District of Columbia, and New York City. Its mission is to improve the standards and methods of tax administration.

Contacts:Verenda Smith 202-624-8443
[email protected]

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