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Lecture Day 2. What you should have!. Class Syllabus Publication 4491 Book Publication 4491W Sample W-2, 1099 Quality Review Sheet Basic , Intermediate, Advanced Practice Exercises EIC Chart Tax Tables Blank Forms. Test/Retest From 6744 Resource Guide Pub 4012 Tax Law – White tabs
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What you should have! • Class Syllabus • Publication 4491 Book • Publication 4491W • Sample W-2, 1099 • Quality Review Sheet • Basic , Intermediate, Advanced Practice Exercises • EIC Chart • Tax Tables • Blank Forms
Test/Retest From 6744 • Resource Guide Pub 4012 • Tax Law – White tabs • Tax Wise – Yellow tabs • Decision Trees • Residency Status – page 9 • Recovery Rebates – page 12/13 • Who Must File – A-1 • Children/Dependent file – A-1 • Which Forms – A-3 • Filing Status – B-2 • Exemptions/Dependents – C-2 • Income – D • Deductions – F • Credits – G • EIC - H
Publication 17 – Index 274 • 1040, 1040A, 1040EZ Booklets • Intake Form - Green
Credit or Community • Must be registered for Acctg 155 to register for Acctg 156 for Spring 09. • Acctg 155 – 2 units ( 5 weeks) • Acctg 156 – 1 unit (8 weeks) • If credit is not necessary can still volunteer as a community member.
Sign up for a volunteer site • Glendale AM - Saturdays • Glendale PM - Saturdays • South Pasadena Senior Citizen Center (Thursday)
VITA Courses Matrix – Acctg 155 • First Time VITA Students to learn Tax Law Basics • Returning Students for Update on Tax Law • Class is repeatable – 2 units • Must Take before Acctg 156 • Must pass IRS test every year • Offered in Winter Session only
Acctg 156 – VITA LAB • Students who have passed VITA Lecture or Update • Tax Return Preparation--- must pass IRS Test every year • Repeatable 4 times – 1 unit
Acctg 157 – VITA Leadership • Students that have taken Acctg 155 and 156 in the prior year. • Group leaders for Acctg 156 students • Review tax preparation of group members • Must pass IRS Test every year • Repeatable 4 times – 1 unit • (VITA has become so big that the instructor needs help from former students)
It is very important that you assist only with returns, forms, and supporting schedules for which you have been trained and certified. If you go beyond your training, you risk making errors and causing difficulties for those you wish to help. Refer taxpayers with very complex returns, or with portions of returns that are beyond the scope of your training, to seek assistance from a paid professional tax payer.
Volunteer Agreement • Standards of Conduct • Must have one from everyone to keep in the file when IRS comes to check on us
Volunteers are expected to complete the test on their own. Taking the test in groups or with outside assistance could prove to be a disservice to the taxpayer.
Testing and Certification • Test is to be taken online at (pg iv of test/retest) • www.irs.gov/app/vita/index.jsp Must earn 80% on both Basic and Intermediate If under 80% on Test you can retest. Must print out certificate so you can display it to the client. I need a copy.
To Take Certification Test on line • Complete both the test and retest manually. • Get on the website and start answering the questions. • Make sure you write the number of the test question on the test booklet. It will help you. • You have two times to pass each level for each email address. • If you don’t pass it on the second time, use a different email address.
Once you pass, make a copy for yourself and one for my files. • This certification is good to put on your resume.
Basic Process • Client signs in and receive Intake Sheet • Intake Sheet is given to Volunteer who is to confirm the information and ask probling questions– verify the phone #. Tell them to return next week to sign and efile. • If there are only a few clients you can work on the return at that time. Or it can be worked on later. • Have group leader complete Quality Review portion of the intake form • Will be using Taxwise to input data. • Print out return: 1) client 1) us w/ 8879 • Can do prior years but can’t efile them.
Interview Process • Important: • Ask if they are uncertain about any responses on Intake Sheet • Avoid making assumptions • Confirm taxpayer’s identity • If more than you can handle • Ask for someone else to handle it • Courteously restate the scope of the program
Keep Records • Summary Sheet to keep track of who did each clients return. Must keep track of the computer you used to enter the client’s data • Put your name on the intake form as the preparer • You will be correcting the returns you did so you can learn. Make sure you get the phone number so you can call for any correction or additional data.
Use Resource Guide • Table 2 : Dependency pg C-5 • Use guide to answer next question.
CPA Exam Question • Jim and Kay Ross contributed to the support of their two children, Dale and Kim, and Jim’s widowed parent, Grant. Dale, a 19 year old full time college student, earned $4,500 as a babysitter. Kim, a 23 year old bank teller, earned $12,000. Grant received $5,000 in dividend income and $4,000 in nontaxable social security benefits. Grant, Dale, and Kim are U.S. citizens and were over one-half supported by Jim and Kay. How many exemptions can Jim and Kay claim on their joint income tax return?
Jim and Kay = 2 • Dale, 19, student = 1 • Kim, 23, non student, over $3,500= 0 • Grant, $5000 income = 0 • Answer is 3
Intake Sheet • Get familiar with the form • Complete your own • Get group leader to do the quality review • Any questions • We keep the return and file the intake forms alphabetically
Other INCOME • Canceled Debt pg 82 Pub 17 • Line 21 1040 pg 5
Chapter 10 • Adjustments to Income
Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) Taxable Income - Adjustments = Adjusted Gross Income
Educator expenses- line 23 1040 pg 26 K-12 educator $250 per person maximum
EMPLOYEE Business ExpensesLine 24 • Form 2106 EZ • page 193 Comprehensive Problems & Exercises • Employee not self employed • Number of miles for business but still need commuting and other • Mileage rate 48.5 cents
Misc Lines • Early withdrawal of Savings – line 30 • Alimony – It is included at compensation – line 31 • Lines 25-29: Health Savings, Moving expenses, Self employment tax, - not within VITA scope
Individual Retirement Terminology • Contribution – What you pay into a IRA • Distribution – When you take money out of an IRA
Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) • Contributions may result in an adjustment to lower your AGI—must be a traditional IRA • Nontraditional are not adjustment to income. • Limits: $4,000 if under 50 • $5,000 if over 50 • Spouse has same limits example 6 pg 10-5 • Pg 115 – pub 17
Traditional vs Non Traditional • Traditional IRA – any IRA that is NOT a Roth or Simple IRA • Roth IRA – a plan in which you pay tax on the contribution so you don’t have to when you get a distribution. Interest earned not taxable • SIMPLE – tax favored retirement plan that certain small employers can set up for the benefit of their employees (Salary Reductions)
Compensation pg 10-4 • Includes: Wages, salaries, commission, tips, bonuses, professional fees, self employment earnings, alimony, • Does not include: interest, rents, dividends, pension, annuity income, deferred compensation • Exercise 1 pg 10-6
Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) • AGI plus: • IRA deduction • Student Loan Interest • Other misc income pg 10-7
Nondeductible Contributions • Not a deduction from taxable income • Interest earned will not be taxable until distribution • Can’t withdraw (distributions) before 59 ½
Limits if have an employer plan • MFJ 83,000---103,000 • S 52,000---62,000 • MFS 10,000 • Exercise 2 – page 10-9 • 8606 Exercise 3 pg 10-15
Student Loan Interest • Maximum $2,500 adjustment • Should receive a statement • Loan can’t be from relative or employer • Student must be liable • Can’t claim if MFS • Limit – S or HOH less than $70,000 • MFJ – less than $140,000 • Pg 30- 1040 instructions
Deduction vs Credit • Deduction reduces taxable earnings that you pay taxes on • Credit reduces dollar for dollar of taxes • 8917 – Tuition and Fees Deduction pg 10-21 • 8863 – Education Credit pg 8-8
Jury Duty • The amount you give to your employer • Line 36 Put “jury duty” on dotted line
Credits • Refundable Credit -- Even if you don’t need to pay taxes you will get the remaining credit. • EIC – refundable credit • Example: EIC Credit is $1000. You owe $200 in tax, you will get an $800 refund • ***************************************** • Nonrefundable Credit – Credit is only up to the amount of tax you owe. • Example: CTC Credit is $1000. You owe $200 in tax, you will NOT get an $800 refund. Only $200 will be used to reduce your taxes to $0.
Chapter 5 – Earned Income Credit • Earned Income • Age 25 to 65 • Social Security Number • Not MFS • Citizen or resident alien • No Foreign income excluded • Investments income less than $2,900 • Not qualifying child: Relation, Age, Resident
Investment Income Interest –taxable and non taxable – line 8 Dividends – Ordinary -- line 9 Capital gain- if loss enter 0 -- line 13
Earned Income Credit Limits • (Less than $2,900 Investment income) • Child Max Cr Span Max Cr Max Income* • None $428 $5,500--$7,000 $12,590 • One $2,853 $8,350--$17,400 $33,241 • Two $4,716 $11,750--$17,400 $37,783 • Add $2,000 if MFJ See page 51 (1040) • 42 (1040A)
Other • Earnings in Prison not earned income • Household employee pg 5-5 • Disability benefits are earned income to minimum retirement age then pension(not earned)
Exercise 1 pg 5-11 • A. No - August 2007 is not more than 6 mos • B. No – MJS can’t claim EIC • C. Tina can claim the two. She can give dependency and CTC to ex but not EIC • D. Yes, but not the Maximum • E. No- no dependent • F. 4,5,7
Exercises – pg 5-12 • Exercise 2 • Answer C Dependent Child Tax Credit -------------------- Earned Income Credit Head of Household Dependent Care Exercise 3 Answer D – must file joint
Exercise 4 – pg 5-20 • A. MFJ – 2+ children • Answer: $25,850 to $25,900 $2,929 • $2,853 • $2,853
Advanced EIC • W-5 • Must file even if they are not otherwise required • Line 61 (1040) • Or Line 36 (1040A)
Chapter 6 – Child Tax Credit • Relationship • Under age 17 • Citizen • More than ½ support • Lived with more than ½ year • Credit is $1,000 per child • Income Max: $110,000 MFJ/ $55 – MFS • $75,000 S, HOH, QW