Lifson Receives Highest Award in Taxation

David A. Lifson received the 2009 Arthur J. Dixon Memorial Award, the highest award given by the accounting profession in the area of taxation.

The award, given by the AICPA’s Tax Division, was presented at the AICPA’s Fall Tax Division Meeting in Washington by Alan R. Einhorn, chairman of the AICPA Tax Executive Committee.

The annual award is named in honor of Arthur J. Dixon, a CPA who had an outstanding record of service to the tax profession and to the AICPA Tax Division. Dixon was chairman of the AICPA’s Tax Executive Committee from 1977 to 1980 and posthumously won the first award. The award was established after his death in 1981 to honor outstanding CPAs in the area of taxes.

Lifson has dedicated his career to tax planning, management and business advisory services for small and medium-size businesses and for high-net-worth individuals. Lifson was co-managing partner of Hays & Co. LLP for nearly 30 years, until the firm joined Crowe Horwath LLP earlier this year.

Lifson has been a volunteer leader for the AICPA for almost 20 years. He is a former chairman of the AICPA Tax Executive Committee, a former member of the AICPA’s board of directors and is currently serving his third term as a member of the AICPA Council. He was chairman of the AICPA’s Individual Tax Committee, as well as four tax task forces that dealt with such issues as tax shelters and independent contractors, and served on the Editorial Advisory Board of The Tax Adviser.

Lifson is also a current member of the IRS Advisory Council and recently completed a term as president of the New York State Society of CPAs. He is an author and frequent lecturer, speaker, panelist and media commentator on various tax and business topics.