Some lawmakers already fret that consulting and tax advisory (when the Big Four are explicitly helping companies make money) can be in conflict with auditing (where the firms should take a wary, outside view of the books, in the service of investors not management).

ECONOMIST: The Big Four accounting firms

Also reappearing this month is Deloitte, the professional services organization, which specializes in audit, consulting, financial advisory, risk management and tax services.

FORBES

Last year Goldman Sachs formed a Strategic Wealth Advisory Team of a dozen tax and estate lawyers who travel around the country advising investment banking customers.

FORBES: It's Never Too Early

George Bush named two retired senators, Connie Mack and John Breaux, to lead a bipartisan advisory panel on tax reform .

ECONOMIST: Politics this week | The

Since last year, the taxmen have fired off a volley of advisory letters and audits asserting that Section 2703 of the tax code, passed in 1990, gives them broad power to disregard the existence of "abusive" limited partnerships for valuation purposes.

FORBES: Cut your estate tax in half

It killed off an advisory body of businessmen, scientists and officials because it supported a carbon tax.

ECONOMIST: Canadian politics: Time to flip | The

In summary, CXO Advisory Group found no connection between the maximum U.S. capital gains tax rate and U.S. stock market returns, and no relationship between changes in the maximum capital gains rate and stock returns.

FORBES: The Case For Higher Stock Prices After Tax Increases