Geithner to meet with corporate finance chiefs on tax reform

The Treasury Department has released the list of companies expected to be represented when Timothy Geithner, the Treasury secretary, discusses tax reform Friday with corporate chief financial officers.

The companies are: Honeywell, Cisco, Johnson & Johnson, Coca-Cola, Emerson, United Technologies Corporation, Wal-Mart, Exxon, PepsiCo, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, Bank of America, Caterpillar, Disney, Eli Lilly, General Electric, Dow Chemical and MetLife.

The meeting comes as tax reform is getting increased attention around Washington, even as members of both parties acknowledge that overhauling the nation’s tax code would be a difficult undertaking.

Treasury representatives have cautioned that Friday’s event is one in a series of meetings dealing with tax reform and have advised not to read too much into it.

For his part, President Obama has said he wants a “conversation” on the issue this year. And Valerie Jarrett, a senior White House adviser, recently called Friday’s Treasury meeting an opening step in what would most likely be a drawn-out push to overhaul the tax code.

Republicans have also been supportive of considering tax reform. Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.), the new chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, announced Thursday the panel would have the first in a string of hearings on the issue next week.

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