WASHINGTON - The Internal Revenue Service announced today the appointment of George Blaine to the position of Associate Chief Counsel, Income Tax and Accounting, (ITA) effective August. 3, 2007. He will replace Lewis Fernandez who will retire on that date.

"We in the Office of Chief Counsel have been extremely fortunate that Lew Fernandez was willing a year ago to take on the top leadership role within Income Tax and Accounting,” said Donald L. Korb, IRS Chief Counsel. “The approach Lew has taken to revitalize that very important part of our National Office has set the stage for his successor to take the organization to the next level. After leaving the Office of Chief Counsel, Mr. Fernandez will continue his tax career at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Washington, D.C.”

“George Blaine is an outstanding choice for this important assignment,” Korb added. “His many years of service to the Office of Chief Counsel and his extensive experience and strong technical knowledge of Income Tax and Accounting issues have prepared him well to take over this role.”

The Associate Chief Counsel, ITA, provides legal advice and support services regarding federal tax matters involving tax accounting and a wide variety of issues relating to corporate and individual income taxation. The Associate Chief Counsel, ITA, also serves as senior legal advisor and expert consultant on litigation and other legal matters as they pertain to tax accounting and individual income taxation issues and represents the Office of Chief Counsel on sensitive and controversial legal matters related to these areas.

Since November 2003, Blaine has served as Deputy Associate Chief Counsel, ITA. As one of two Deputies to the Associate Chief Counsel, Blaine supervises approximately 115 professionals responsible for the basic income tax rules in Subchapter A, inclusions, exclusions, most individual deductions and credits, recognition, timing and special methods of accounting.

From 2000 to 2003, Blaine served as the Deputy Assistant Chief Counsel, Administrative Provisions and Judicial Practice Division. Blaine served as Chief of two branches in ITA from 1995 through 2000. In 1999, he received the Office of Chief Counsel’s “Manager of the Year” award. From 1988 to 1994, he was the Special Counsel in the Tax Litigation (later Field Service) Division.

Blaine received an LL.M in Taxation from the George Washington University in 1987. He received his B.A. in 1971 and a J.D. in 1974 from Temple University.