Illinois Department of Revenue’s Deputy General Counsel Receives Paull Mines Award

Prestigious national award honors decades of public service and leadership in state tax policy

Maura Kownacki - Illinois Department of Revenue

Aug 2, 2026 8:30 AM Jul 31, 2026 9:25 AM

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) is proud to announce that Deputy General Counsel Brian Fliflet has received the 2026 Multistate Tax Commission's (MTC) prestigious Paull Mines Award. Fliflet accepted the award during MTC’s Annual Meeting in Detroit, MI on July 29.

The award recognizes an attorney who has made significant contributions to state tax jurisprudence, and who exemplifies qualities of leadership, legal excellence, and professional integrity in the best traditions of the profession. Winners are nominated by state tax agency employees and chosen by an MTC selection committee.

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IDOR Director David Harris congratulated Fliflet calling the award a fitting tribute to his remarkable career.

"For more than two decades, Brian has helped shape Illinois tax policy with exceptional legal expertise, integrity, and fairness. He is truly deserving of this recognition,” Harris said. “His leadership has strengthened the department and improved the way we serve the people of Illinois. We have been incredibly fortunate to benefit from Brian's knowledge, sound judgment, and dedication.”

Fliflet joined IDOR in 2000 after representing the department in tax litigation while serving in the Illinois Attorney General's Office for close to a decade. Throughout his career, he has championed fairness, transparency, and taxpayer service while helping shape Illinois' tax administration and tax policy.

Over the past 26 years, Fliflet has become one of IDOR's foremost legal authorities on state and local tax law. He has helped modernize Illinois' tax dispute resolution process, develop administrative rules and taxpayer guidance, and advise department leadership on complex legal and legislative matters.

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Fliflet’s most significant accomplishments include helping reform the department's Informal Conference Board and playing a leading role in creating the Illinois Independent Tax Tribunal, strengthening taxpayer confidence in the state's dispute resolution system while enhancing taxpayer protections.

A graduate of Northwestern University with a bachelor's degree in journalism and Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Fliflet said his passion for public service began early.

"I aspired to be a lawyer and public servant from a young age," Fliflet said. "Civics and government always appealed to me. Perhaps it was the Schoolhouse Rock! programs that planted the seed."

Fliflet also received the Illinois State Bar Association's Roz Kaplan Government Service Award in 2021 which honors government attorneys whose dedication and service have made a difference. He said being recognized for his government service and now receiving accolades for his contributions to state tax policy completes the circle.

Reflecting on his more than three decades of practicing state tax law, Fliflet said much of his success is due to his colleagues and mentors who invested in his professional development. Today, he says mentoring the next generation of public servants has become one of the most rewarding aspects of his career.

"I've been fortunate to work alongside experienced colleagues who were always willing to answer questions and share their knowledge, and I've tried to pay that forward throughout my career," Fliflet explained. "Building relationships with counterparts from other states and private practitioners through organizations like the Multistate Tax Commission has also been incredibly rewarding. We all continue to learn from one another and find new ways to make improvements."

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