Organizers of the 91st Annual Insurance Leadership Forum, held this week at the Greenbriar in White Sulphur Springs, W.V., probably didn’t know that one of their keynoter’s comments would end up being the sound bite heard around the world. But that’s what happened when Ambassador Paul Bremer, who headed up the provisional government in Iraq, made some disparaging comments about the current Administration’s handling of the war in Iraq, as you’ve likely heard by now.

Do you know what you’d do if, as happened to The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers, your keynoter made front-page news at your conference? Would you welcome the attention, or would it detract from your conference’s real agenda? With more and more high-profile political speakers keynoting various industry conferences these days, it’s bound to happen more often.

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If you can wade through the government-ese language, this announcement from the U.S. Treasury Department means good news for meetings in Aruba. As of September 14, the U.S.-Aruba Tax Information Exchange Agreement went into effect, which means, for tax purposes, an Aruba meeting has the same deductions as other North American meetings.

As of September 13, 2004, Aruba is considered part of the “North American area” for purposes of determining whether U.S. taxpayers may deduct expenses incurred in attending conventions, business meetings and seminars in Aruba. Convention expenses that are incurred by U.S. taxpayers for meetings in geographical areas considered part of the North American area and that otherwise are deductible as ordinary and necessary business expenses are allowed as deductions without regard to the additional limitations applicable to deductions for expenses associated with foreign conventions. A list of geographical areas that currently are included in the North American area for purposes of these convention expense deduction rules is provided in Revenue Ruling 2003-109. This revenue procedure will be updated to take account the agreement with Aruba.

Among those eager to let us all know about this are the Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino and the Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino, whose PR agencies were quick to point out this new development. Hey, who needs an excuse to go to Aruba, says she who just last night suffered through the first frost of the coming New England winter.

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