A team of students from The University of Akron (UA) George W. Daverio School of Accountancy finished in third place at the Tax Executives Institute’s (TEI) fourth annual International Tax Student Case Competition, held Aug. 13-15 in Montreal.
 
The students — Christopher Gavriloff (JD/MTax, ‘27), Jenna Clary (JD/MTax, ‘27), who will graduate in spring 2027 with both Juris Doctor and Master of Taxation (MTax) degrees, Heidi Coyle (MTax ’26), and Caleb Vogt ’25 ’26, who has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting (BSA) and is pursuing his MTax degree — represented UA  among a select group of 14 universities from around the world invited to participate in the competition. Coaches for the UA team include Scott Tincher, a member of the MTax Governance Board, and Anthony Jakubowski, a double alumnus of the BSA and MTax program who has also taught in the MTax program.
 
“Entrance into the competition is through a selection process and is limited to just 14 schools. So just by attending we were already in great company,” said Jules Jones, director of the George W. Daverio School of Accountancy. “To see our students rise to the occasion and finish tied for third is a tremendous accomplishment. They represented UA, our School of Accountancy and our tax program exceptionally well.”
 
Hosted by TEI, the International Tax Student Case Competition brings together students, professors, tax practitioners, mentors and judges from around the world for three days focused on learning, collaboration and professional connection. The competition is designed to help students develop a deeper passion for taxation while gaining experience addressing complex, real-world tax issues.
 
Each participating university selects a team of four students who are paired with two TEI members who serve as mentors throughout the preparation process and are provided access to international tax training resources leading up to the competition.
 
For the UA team, the experience culminated in a high-pressure case challenge. Students received a hypothetical fact pattern involving an international tax question and from there, had three hours to analyze the case, develop a recommendation and prepare a presentation for a panel of distinguished judges simulating a corporate board of directors.
 
The team then presented their recommendations as part of the competition, putting their technical tax knowledge, communication skills and ability to think critically under a tight deadline to the test.
 
“This competition pushed all of us to think differently about how tax concepts translate into real business decisions,” said Clary.
 
The UA team tied for third place with Maastricht University, finishing behind second-place University of Waterloo and first-place Marquette University Law School.
 
The competition also provided students with opportunities to engage with tax professionals and peers from around the globe. Throughout the three-day event, participants took part in a foosball tournament hosted by Andersen Tax, an AI and technology seminar hosted by IFA Canada, a walking and running club ice cream social hosted by BDO, a welcome cocktail reception and dinner with their mentors.
 
The competition concluded with a cocktail reception and gala awards ceremony at the St. James Club in Montreal, where students had the opportunity to network with fellow competitors, TEI mentors, practitioners from sponsoring firms and members of the judging panel.
 
“Opportunities like this are exactly what make an accounting education at The University of Akron College of Business so valuable,” said Dr. Terry Daugherty, dean of the College of Business. “Our students are not only learning the technical foundations of business and taxation; they are developing the confidence and problem-solving skills to apply that knowledge in complex situations. This achievement on an international stage reflects both their preparation and the quality of the education they receive here at UA.”
 
Beyond the competition itself, the experience gave UA students a firsthand look at the increasingly international nature of the tax profession.
 
“Tax is a field that continues to evolve, and experiences like this allow our students to see the profession from a much broader perspective,” Jones said. “They were able to work alongside students from other universities, learn from experienced international tax professionals and demonstrate that they can compete at a very high level.”
 
The University of Akron has a long-standing reputation for excellence in taxation, with the George W. Daverio School of Accountancy offering opportunities for students to build expertise in tax while connecting classroom learning to the profession. The School's Master of Taxation program recently celebrated its 45th anniversary, underscoring UA's longstanding commitment to developing tax professionals.
 
The students’ third-place finish adds another accomplishment to the school’s tradition of preparing students for successful careers in accounting and taxation — while giving them opportunities to Experience Business on a global stage.

UA’s College of Business is internationally accredited and ranked among the top 1% of business schools worldwide by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Through experiential learning, career readiness and strong corporate connections, the college empowers every Zip to say “yes” to opportunity and Experience Business.

Story by CoB Marketing.