Governor Phil Bredesen named Charles A. Trost commissioner of the Department of Revenue on Monday. Mr. Trost replaces former commissioner Reagan Farr who left the administration on Sept. 1, to return to the private sector.
Gov. Bredesen said, "Charlie Trost is widely recognized for his work and expertise in the areas of state and federal tax law and tax litigation and he also brings to this role extensive experience working with industries and companies moving to or relocating in Tennessee.
"I appreciate his willingness to step in at this time to provide continued leadership to the Department of Revenue and ensure our efforts to create new jobs and attract capital investment to Tennessee are uninterrupted."
"I am certainly honored to have the opportunity to serve Gov. Bredesen and the state of Tennessee in this important role," said Mr. Trost.
"Beyond its responsibilities of collecting taxes and enforcing revenue laws fairly and impartially, the Department of Revenue is a critical partner in attracting jobs and investment to Tennessee, and I look forward to working with the employees of the Department of Revenue to fulfill these responsibilities."
Tennessee has been applauded for the collaboration between its Departments of Revenue and Economic and Community Development to recruit jobs to the state. Since January 2003, Tennessee has attracted more than 190,000 new jobs and attracted $33 billion in new capital, consistently placing among the top five states in the U.S. for business climate.
Mr. Trost was previously of counsel with Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP in Nashville. He has been recognized for more than ten years for his work in the area of state tax law in The Best Lawyers in America, as well as Business Tennessee's list of the "Top 101 Lawyers in Tennessee."
He received his Juris Doctor from the University of Alabama, his Master of Law in Taxation from New York University, and he holds a Bachelor of Arts from Vanderbilt University. He is a member of the Uniform Law Commission and a Fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel.
Mr. Trost is a trustee of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and a member of the Board of Directors of The Land Trust for Tennessee.
The Tennessee Department of Revenue is responsible for administration of state tax laws and motor vehicle title and registration laws established by the General Assembly and for collection of taxes and fees associated with those laws.
The department collects approximately 92 percent of total state tax revenue. It is also responsible for apportioning revenue collections for distribution to various state funds and local units of government. The magnitude of collections by the department makes possible a lower cost of collection per tax dollar than local communities could achieve.