Final Practice Flashcards
regulations
source
- administrative
- address issues and explain IRC
- can be issued by Treasury
revenue rulings
source, force of law
- administrative
- Treasury proclamations to address common questions
- no force of law
revenue proedures
source
- administrative
- provide additional info documents to taxpayers (adjusted inflation #s)
private letter rulings vs determination letters
source
- private: before transaction
- determination: after transaction
- source: administrative
which courts allow jury trials for tax claims?
US District Court only
which courts require prepayment of tax for tax claims?
federal and district court
IRS statute of limitations
- 3 to audit
- 6 to audit of >25% of income omitted
- 10 to collect
- none if fraud or never filed
technical advice memos
source
- administrative
- tells IRS reps how to treat transactions
Commerce Clearing House vs Congressional Committee Reports
- Commerce: plain language interpretation of law
- Congress: “blue book”; congress reason/intent
1231 vs 1250 taxation
carry back
- 1231: gain = capital; loss = ordinary; carry back 5 years
- 1250: realty only; accelerated depreciation = OI; deprecition recapture = 25%; gain = LTCG
gift holding period
carries over unless it’s gifted as a loss in which case double-basis rules apply and it’s ST
MACRS
CAT OFF Right Now
- 5: computers, auto, trucks
- 7: office furniture and fixtures
- 27.5: residential realty
- 39: commerical realty
deductions FOR AGI vs FROM AGI
FOR:
- 1/2 self-emp tax
- student loan interest <$2500
- moving
- alimony
- buisness expenses
- loss on property exchange
FROM
- medical > 7.5% AGI
- state and local income OR sales tax up to $10K
- foreign tax
- property tax
- interest (investment, mortgage)
- charity
- gambling
- casualty
- IRD
what kind of assets are not capital assets?
ACID
- A/R
- creavive works in hands of creator; copyrights
- inventory
- depreciable property
loss sale to relative
taxation, holding period, who is a relative
- tax: seller gets no deduction, buyer has double basis
- holding: no carry over
- who: mostly lineal (not in law, aunt/uncle, cousin)
1244 capital loss and 1202 gain
- 1244: deduct up to $50K ($100K MFJ) for small business (<$1M) stock; carry forward
- 1202: favorable capital gain treatment for small business stock held >5 years
1031 unsimultaneous
requirement, timeline
- hold funds in escrow
- 45 days to identify property
- 180 to receive property (within sale or due date of return)
quaified widow
- NOT in year of death (use MFJ or MFS)
- 2 years after
- must have dependent child and not be remarried
qualified dependent child vs relative
child
- <19 or student <24
- must have SSN
- can be niece, sibling, grandchild
relative
- provide >50% support
- earn <$4400
- no SSN required but must be N. American
- NOT cousin
- YES niece
child tax credit
amount and requirement
- amount: $2K (phased out) with $1500 refundable
- <17 and you provide >50% support
- must have SSN
SS benefit taxation
hurdle values
- provisional income = AGI + tax-exempt interest + 1/2 SS benefits
- Single hurdles: $25K and $34K
- MFJ hurdles: $32K and $44K
- below 1st hurdle = 0% tax
- above 2nd hurdle = 85% tax
- between = 50% of benefit OR 50% of amount above 1st hurdle
flexible spending allowable exclusion
$2850/year
$500 can rollover
charity deduction %
limits and carrying forward/back
- cash = 60% of AGI
- LTCG: 50% if using basis and 30% if using FMV (cannot use basis if loss property)
- STCG: lesser of FMV or basis up to 50% AGI
- carry forward 5 years
realty passive loss exception
- if material participant, can deduct $25K of passive income against other income
- carry over the rest
- AGI phaseout $100-$150K
personal vs mixed vs rental use and tax treatment
- personal: rent <15 days; no income recognized
- rental: rent >14 and use < greater of 14 days or 10% of rental; taxable income but deduct losses
- mixed: anything in between; can’t deduct beyond income; interest and taxes are deduted daily based on rental days / 365; other expenses are deducted based on rental days / total days used
section 179 expense
- expense up to $1,080,000 for tangible business
- reduced by amount > $2.7M
- limited to income
- can carry forward but still limited to income
when is international travel assumed purely business
airfare treatment
- <7 days
- <25% personal
- no control over arrangements
- Note: airfare is pro-rata unless it’s fully business travel
tax preparer penalty
if willfull or reckless under-reporting, greater of $5K or 50% income received
sequence that business credits are applied (current year, carry forward/back)
- carried forward
- current year
- carried back
accuracy-related penalty
if substantial understatement of liability (>10% or $5K), 20% unless fraud which is 75%
minimum failure to file penalty
lesser of $435 or 100% of tax due
how much must self-employed make before required to file?
$400
Form 5498 vs 8606 vs 1099-R
- 5498 - IRA contributions
- 8606 - IRA distributions
- 1099-R - IRA rollovers
over what period are intangible assets amortized?
examples
15 years
non-compete, goodwill, TM, copyright
what is substantial authority?
examples
- any official rulings/words that someone can rely on
- IRC, Treasury regulations, private letters, blue book
what are qualified dividends and how are they taxed?
- held for >60 days in the 121 days surrounding the ex-dividend date
- taxed as capital gains
can you claim head of household if spouse lived in the house this year?
yes, as long as they moved out 6+ months ago
what can AOTC be used for?
tuition, required fees, textbook (direct or indirect), required lab fees
do you have to use the same accounting method for W2 and self-employment income?
yes
do REITs pay qualified dividends?
no, but they can pay make nondividend distributions
factors for determining whether compensation is unreasonable
- consider circumstances when agreement was made
- can be reasonable if EE took some risk (e.g., comp based on profit)
how is a worthless security taxed?
it’s considered sold as of 12/31 of the year it became worthless, so it may be ST or LT
when is functional use test used vs the use test?
- functional: in non-taxable exchange if taxpayer used the asset directly
- use - in non-taxable exchange if taxpayer did not use directly; must use the new asset in an activity that is treated the same for tax
what is the value of gifted property for depreciation purposes?
lesser of FMV or basis
how and when is bargain element taxed for NQSO?
at exercised, recognized (OI?)
when does 179 recapture apply?
- when you sell the asset before it would have depreciated fully OR
- when the business use drops before 50%
universal life
return, investment control, A vs B
- flexibility
- minimum return but ER controls invesment
- can use CV to pay premiums
- A = constant DB
- B = DB can increase with CV; varbiable premium
whole life
premium, DB, investment control, return, ordinary vs limited pay
- use to get guarantees
- fixed DB and fixed premium
- ER controls investment with fixed return
- ordinary = pay premiums until 100 or 120
- limited pay = pay premiums until certain age
speculative risk
chance of loss or gain
risk management tools
- avoid (don’t drink and drive)
- transfer (insurance)
- retain (door dings, minor cut)
- reduce (install sprinklers, protective clothing)
indemnity vs subdrogation
- indemnity - cannot profit from insurance; right to be made whole
- subdrogation - insuror can collect on your behalf
insurance branches and roles
- legislative - enacts licensing laws
- judiical - rules on constitutionality
- executive - interprets/enforces laws
federal insurance oversight
IRS, SEC, ERISA
what does NAIC do
- provides watch list of companies
- issues model legislation
- accredits state regulatory offices
installment refund annuity
pays over life until death but provides refund to return basis at death
HSA penalty
when and how much
- for any non-medical expenses
- tax + 20% <65
- tax but no penalty 65+
non-forfeiture rights vs settlement options vs dividend options for insurance
- non-forfeiture: cash surrender value, reduced paid up, extended term
- settlement: lump sum, interest only, annuity, fixed period, fixed amount
- dividend: cash, accumulate at interest, reduce premiums, paid up additions (no health assessment), 1 year tern (health assessment)
ADLs
BED To Chair
- Bathing
- Eating
- Dressing
- Toileting
- Transferring
- Continence
direct recognition program
loan from CV for life insurance means dividends and interest will be based on lower CV amount
who must provide COBRA?
ER that offers group health plan with 20+ EEs
how long is COBRA offered?
- 18 months: normal termination
- 36 months: retire, death, divore, medicare eligible, loss of dependency status
- 29: disabled (24 months until SS received and then 5 mo elimination period to get disability)
how are LTC premiums and benefits taxed?
- premiums - deduct to extent they exceed 7.5% AGI
- benefits tax free if qualified policy
requirements for LTC policy to be qualified
- no surrender value
- dividends only reduce premiums or increae benefits
- does not cover medicare expenses
- meets consumer protection laws
HO section 1
- A - dwelling (asset)
- B - other structures (barn)
- C - personality (casualty)
- D - loss of use (Days Inn)
- E - personal liability (Eddie’s needed)
- F - medical payments (fallen)
general HO exclusions
ground movement, law, water damage, war, power failure, neglect, intentional
HO 1,2,3,4,5,6,8,15
- 1 - basic perils
- 2 - broad perils
- 3 - special (open but personalty is broad)
- 4 - renters (4 rent)
- 5 - open perils
- 6 - condo
- 8 - modified form
- 15 - endorce personalty of open endorcement (3 x 5 = 15)
auto A,B,C,D,E,F
- A - liability (Auto Attorney)
- B - medical bills (Bills)
- C - uninsured motorist (Cunt doesn’t have insurance lol)
- D - collision and comprehensive (Damage to auto)
- E - duties under accident
- F - not usable in Mexico
impact to benefits when SS is taken early or late
- early: -5/9% per month for first 36 months then -5/12% per month
- late: +8% per year up to 70 (+2/3% per month)
definition of disability for SS purposes
expect to last 12+ months or result in death
cannot do any occupation
who qualifies for medicare?
- 65+
- disabled 2+ years
- spouse 65+ based on spouse’s work history
who can receive SS from someone else’s work history?
EE still alive
- spouse 62+
- spouse with child <16
- disabled spouse
- child <18 if in HS (50%)
- ex-spouse of 10+ years is 62+ but didn’t remarry after 60
EE dead
- same as above
- widow 60+ (100%)
- child < 18 and in HS (75%)
- dependent parent (82.5%) if fully insured
who gets benefits if EE dies while currently insured?
- survivor if child <16
- child <18
- lump sum is provided
how are SS beenfits impacted if you take SS while still working?
reduced by $1 for every $2 earned above the Earnings Limit
Medicare Part A
what it’s for, deductible, coinsurance
- places (hospital, home, hospice; NOT custodial LTC)
- deductible normally $1556/benefit period
- coinsurance:
- days 61-90 = 1/4 of deductible
- days 91-150 = 1/2 of deductible
- skilled nursing care 21-100 = 1/8 of deductible
Medicare part B
what is it for, permiums, deductible
- extras like dental, hearing, prevention, eye, cosmetic
- premium: $170.10+ based on income which is deducted from SS
- deductible: $233/year then 20% copay
Medicare part C and D
- C: advantage but must have A and B and usually no hospital or emergency
- D: perscription drugs
aleatory
money exchanged must be unequal (small premium, large benefit)
parole evidence rule
once writtten, prior understanding is disregarded
estoppel
denied rights otherwise would’ve been entitied to (can’t raise premiums if insurer said they wouldn’t)
insurance rating agencies
AM Bests, Moodys, Standard & Poors
group LTC taxation
cafeteria plan
- no tax on premiums or benefits
- cannot be in cafeteria plan
split definition of disability
own occupation to start (2-3 years) then modified any occupation
taxation of premiums when EE pays some of gorup term premiums
- calculate normal inclusion of income for amount over $50K in coverage
- subtracted what the EE pays in premiums
IPA vs group model for HMO
- IPA: greatest flexibility
- group: network model
what is the main responsibility of the insurance underwriter?
guard against adverse selection
collateral source rule
person who commits a tort won’t benefit just because victim has insurance
disability income policy rider
converts coverage after 65 to LTC
how does entity purchase agreement impact surviving owner basis?
no change
what is the minimum number of people that must be covered under a group term plan?
10
conditional receipt
provides temporary insurance coverage until insurability is proven
how are NQSO taxed?
- grant: no tax as long as the exercise price is > or = FMV of stock at grant
- exercise: OI on bargain element
- sale: LTCG or STCG based on time from exercise
cash balance plans
return, PBGC, vesting
- guaranteed investment return
- not 100% guaranteed by PBGC
- 3-year cliff
what is the vesting requirement for qualified automatic contribution arrangements?
100% in 2 years
can ESOPs be integrated with SSS?
no
how do changes in turnover impact DB funding costs?
- lower turnover = increased funding costs
- higher turnover = reduced funding costs
maximum excess rate for DB vs DC plan?
- DB: 2x benefit formula limited to 35 years and 0.75%
- DC: 2x contribution limited to disparity of 5.7% (e.g., if 10% than max excess is 15.7%)
are forfeitures included in annual additions?
Not if they’re not allocated to individual accounts (i.e., they are used to reduce ER contributions)
required contribution and vesting for top-heavy plan
- DC: 3% to non-key
- DB: 2%
- 2-6 graded or 3 year cliff
who can be the beneficiary of a pension plan
the spouse only unless the spouse agrees to sign a waiver
what is the maximum contribution that can be made to a DB plan?
whatever the actuary determines needs to be made
paired plans aka tandem plans
combines Money Purchase and profit-sharing plan
paired plans aka tandem plans
combines Money Purchase and profit-sharing plan
Section 415 limit for DC plans
$61K
do voting rights need to be passed through to participating EEs in profit-sharing plan?
Only if ESOP
what is the non-elective contribution on a QACA Qualified automatic contribution arrangement)?
3%
what is the max # service years a CODA can require?
- 1 for participation; max of 2 for ER match
- the 2 year of service rule for participation is for qualified plans other than a 401k
what cannot be included in a VEBA?
retirement benefits and commuter benefits
for a group term insurance plan to be non-discriminatory, what % of EEs must it benefit?
70% of all EEs or a group of qhich 85% are not key EEs
what is a SERP?
- deferred comp plan
- provides retirement benefits above the company’s qualified plan AND without regard to Section 415 limits
what is a funded deferred comp plan
- non-qualified
- provides vested beneficial interest in an account
what is a 412(e) plan?
DB plan funded with insurance products