(Archived Content)
William F. Sweetnam, Jr. was named Benefits Tax Counsel on July 2, 2001, replacing J. Mark Iwry, who had been Benefits Tax Counsel since 1995. He joined the Office of Tax Policy as an Associate Benefits Tax Counsel in April. As part of the Office of the Benefits Tax Counsel, Sweetnam is responsible for providing Assistant Secretary (Tax Policy) Mark Weinberger with policy analysis and advice on all aspects of employee benefits taxation and related matters including qualified retirement plans, Employee Stock Ownership Plans, employee welfare plans, health and long term care benefits, social security taxes, and executive compensation. Sweetnam was the Treasury's primary contact with Congress with regard to the IRA and pension provisions in the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001.
Prior to his appointment, Sweetnam was Tax Counsel with the Majority Staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, responsible for issues dealing with retirement plans and other retirement savings vehicles (such as IRAs), medical and other employee benefits, compensation matters, insurance, and tax-exempt organizations. Prior to his service with the Committee, Sweetnam was a technical consultant in the Vahalla, New York, office of Towers Perin, an internationally-based benefit and compensation consulting firm. He previously was Chief Counsel, Tax and ERISA at Sunoco, Inc., an energy company headquartered in Philadelphia.
Sweetnam is a graduate of Rutgers University and holds a J.D. degree from Fordham University School of Law. He is a member of the New York and Pennsylvania Bar. As author of a several articles, including Statutory Stock Options, BNA Tax Portfolio No. 381 (1991), Sweetnam is a frequent speaker and lecturer on employee benefits issues. Sweetnam resides in the District of Columbia.