This Moss Adams Partner Provides Telecom Tax Advice and Education

Cheri Burnham has focused professionally on telecommunications and cooperative tax since 1995, providing tax planning and compliance, as well as consulting services for cooperative and corporate organizations. She serves wireline commercial and cooperative enterprises, wireless carriers, cable television companies, fiber transport companies, and telephone associations.

Responsible for the tax work performed by the Spokane and Kansas City offices’ telecom group, and for the firm’s utility cooperative tax practice, Cheri is lead instructor for two national cooperative seminars and one corporate tax seminar—part of the firm’s annual series of 20 accounting and business courses for the telecom industry. In addition, she is regularly asked to speak to cooperatives’ boards of directors on capital credit strategies.

“I think my biggest career leaps have been when I’ve said ‘yes’ to scary opportunities—whether they are speaking engagements, challenging projects, or leadership positions—particularly when I doubt my capability,” said Cheri. “I am continually reminded to get outside my comfort zone and stretch what I believe I am possible of.”

Cheri’s experience includes cooperative capital credit policy design and strategy development; cooperative patronage strategy; cooperative and corporate structure analysis and consulting; consulting on mergers, reorganizations, and corporate restructuring; IRS audit assistance; consolidated tax returns compliance and planning; state income tax compliance and planning; deferred tax and ASC 740 compliance and planning; utility cooperative tax compliance and planning; S corporation analysis and conversions; shareholder income tax planning and strategy; and corporate acquisition strategy and analysis.

In addition to holding a BBA in accounting from Gonzaga University, Cheri is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the National Society of Accountants for Cooperatives, and the Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants. She previously served as chair of the Telergee Alliance Tax Committee, where she ensured that the committee met its goals of improving tax practice efficiency and sharing best practices among the seven member firms.