LAYNE REID SIMMONS

Profile
Layne is a manager and co-owner of Jaffa Simmons with over 25 years of tax experience working for both international accounting firms and for large international publically traded corporations.   Experience includes all areas of taxation including international tax planning and structuring; mergers, acquisitions and divestitures; consolidated and multistate tax planning and income tax return preparation; vast audit experience in managing international, federal and state tax audits and appeals; providing leadership of the tax department, advising senior management and board members of tax related issues.

Layne was recently appointed by the Governor of Arizona to serve on the Arizona State Board of Accountancy.  Layne has previously served in leadership positions in several organizations including serving as chairman of the Arizona Society of CPA’s and as a council member of the American Institute of CPAs. He also chaired the Arizona Society of CPA’s Tax Legislative Committee, where as committee chairman he spoke before the Arizona Senate Finance Committee, the Arizona House Ways and Means Committee and Arizona House Commerce Committee explaining proposed tax legislation. Layne is also the former President of the Arizona Chapter of Tax Executives Institute (TEI), the nation’s preeminent association of corporate tax professionals. Additionally, he served three years on the tax review committee of the Arizona State Board of Accountancy. Before joining Jaffa Simmons, Layne was the Vice President of Tax of Waste Services, Inc.  Prior to that he was the Executive Director of Tax at Viad Corp., having worked prior to that in the Phoenix office of Deloitte & Touche.Prior Professional Experience Waste Services, Inc. Apr. 2004 –  Feb. 2006 (formerly Capital Environmental Resources, Inc. (WSII – NASDAQ) Vice President, Tax

 

Managed and directed corporate tax department (United States and Canada).

Member of acquisition committee, developed tax strategies and directly participated in the due diligence and structuring of all corporate acquisitions.

Directed overall corporate strategic tax planning including:

  • Minimization of effective corporate tax rate
  • International entity and debt structuring
  • Transfer pricing issues
  • Net Operating Loss issues
  • Preparation process of U.S. and Canadian tax returns.

Layne also successfully helped advise and structure the corporate migration of the company from Canada to the United States, including creation of legal entities and structuring of the intercompany corporate debt.

He was in charge of tax portion of the “Sarbanes-Oxley” compliance implementation team.

Viad Corp 1989 – 2004 (formerly Dial Corp., formerly Greyhound Corp (VVI, MGI – NYSE) Executive Tax Director and Assistant Secretary (2001 – April, 2004)

Managed and directed corporate tax department of 10 professionals.

Member of corporate investment committee that approved all requests for capital in excess of $200,000.

Member of corporate investment portfolio committee that approved the strategic investment of the corporate 6 billion dollar investment portfolio. Directly participated in investing strategies to maximize after tax return (including alternative minimum tax) on investments.

Member of acquisition committee, developed tax strategies and directly participated in the due diligence and structuring of all corporate acquisitions ranging from a couple of million dollars to in excess of 500 million.
Directed overall corporate strategic tax planning including:

  • Minimization of effective corporate tax rate
  • International entity and debt structuring
  • Repatriation of foreign earnings and foreign tax credit utilization
  • Transfer pricing issues
  • Alternative minimum tax issues
  • Cost efficiencies in the return preparation process

Successfully managed federal and state income tax audits, including representing the company in appeals/ settlement meetings with the Internal Revenue Service, Canadian Revenue Agency, Inland Revenue (U.K.) and numerous states.

Deloitte & Touche LLP 1985 – 1989 Senior Tax Accountant
Supervised the tax return preparation of large consolidated corporate income tax returns.

Involved in tax research and planning for a variety of clients.
Member of corporate tax group, gave several presentations on alternative minimum tax.
Education

University of Utah
Masters of Professional Accountancy (Specializing in Taxation)
June 1985

University of Utah
Bachelor of Arts (Accounting)
June 1984

Professional Associations: 

 

Jaffa Simmons is a certified public accounting firm providing national and international tax and accounting services.

Jaffa Simmons, PLLC
1012 S. Stapley Drive, #101
Mesa, Arizona 85204
United States of America
480-649-7146