IRS/Practitioners Forum - Webcast

Kyle Behnke

Kyle Behnke serves the IRS Independent Office of Appeals as an Appeals Team Manager.  In his career in the private sector, Kyle created and managed two start-up businesses before working for a decade at Microsoft in varying engineering and management roles, primarily as a Sr. Program Manager in the SQL Server, Windows Server, and OEM Divisions.  He then transitioned to public service, where he started with the IRS as a Field Revenue Officer in the Small Business and Self-Employed Division, before later becoming an Appeals Officer.  He earned a Master of Business and Public Administration degree from Willamette University in Salem, OR.  He serves in the Seattle, WA, Post of Duty.

(10/2/25)

David Higgins works for the IRS in the Communications and Liaison Division as a Tax Specialist in Seattle, WA. David serves as the primary IRS contact to community, industry, and business organizations throughout Washington and Alaska. David educates on a variety of tax topics to all taxpayer communities, including employers, community groups, small business resource partners and tax practitioner organizations.

9/15/2025

 

Valerie Sasaki is a partner with Samuels Yoelin Kantor LLP where she chairs the Taxation Practice. She focuses her practice on resolving complex tax matters for clients with state and federal revenue agencies. She regularly speaks and writes on tax topics of interest to her. Ms. Sasaki is a member of the Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Utah State Bars.  She regularly appears on behalf of clients in US Tax Court and the Oregon Tax Court.

She is a "Big-4" accounting alumna who worked as a State and Local Tax Manager for KPMG LLP as well as with the Miller Nash LLP tax department.  Valerie has served as Chair of Portland Tax Forum, The Oregon State Bar Taxation Section, and the Oregon State Bar Business Law Section.  Valerie has served on the laws committee of the Oregon State Bar's Taxation Section since 2003. She is now involved in leading an Oregon Laws Commission Project to modernize and restate Oregon's Limited Liability Company Act.  

Valerie serves and has served as an Adjunct Professor of Taxation with: Portland State University's Masters in Tax Program; Northwestern School of Law, Lewis & Clark College;  Portland Community College; and the University of Oregon School of Law. She is a fellow of the American College of Taxation and has been recognized as an outstanding tax attorney by the SuperLawyers and Best Lawyers in America organizations. 

Valerie received her BA degree, magna cum laude, from Tulane University, earned her JD degree from University of Oregon School of Law and her LLM in Taxation from the University of Washington School of Law.

(7/13/21)