Solution Manual Federal Tax Research
13th Edition by Roby Sawyers, Steven Gill
Chapters 1 -13
,Pagej1-2 SOLUTIONSjMANUAL
CHAPTER 1 j
INTRODUCTION TO TAX PRACTICE AND ETHICS
j j j j j
DISCUSSIONjQUESTIONS
1-1.
InjthejUnitedjStates,jthejtaxjsystemjisjanjoutgrowthjofjthejfollowingjfivejdisciplines:jlaw,ja
ccounting,jeconomics,jpoliticaljscience,jandjsociology.jThejenvironmentjforjthejtaxjsystemjisjpro
videdjbyjthejprinciplesjofjeconomics,jsociology,jandjpoliticaljscience,jwhilejthejlegaljandjaccount
ingjfieldsjarejresponsiblejforjthejsystem‘sjinterpretationjandjapplication.
Eachjofjthesejdisciplinesjaffectsjthisjcountry‘sjtaxjsystemjinjajuniquejway.jEconomistsjaddressjsuc
hjissuesjasjhowjproposedjtaxjlegislationjwilljaffectjthejratejofjinflationjorjeconomicjgrowth.jMeasur
ementjofjthejsocialjequityjofjajtaxjandjdeterminingjwhetherjajtaxjsystemjdiscriminatesjagainstjcerta
injtaxpayersjarejissuesjthatjarejexaminedjbyjsociologistsjandjpoliticaljscientists.
Finally,jattorneysjarejresponsiblejforjthejinterpretationjofjthejtaxationjstatutes,jandjaccountantsjens
urejthatjthesejsamejstatutesjarejappliedjconsistently.****8880()
Pagej4
1-2. Thejotherjmajorjcategoriesjofjtaxjpracticejinjadditionjtojtaxjresearchjarejasjfollows:
Taxjcompliance
Taxjplanning
Taxjlitigationj
Pagej5
1-3.
Taxjcompliancejconsistsjofjgatheringjpertinentjinformation,jevaluatingjandjclassifyingjtha
tjinformation,jandjfilingjanyjnecessaryjtaxjreturns.jCompliancejalsojincludesjotherjfunctionsjneces
saryjtojsatisfyjgovernmentaljrequirements,jsuchjasjrepresentingjajclientjduringjanjInternaljRevenue
Servicej(IRS)jaudit.
j
,FederaljTaxjResearch,j13thjEdition Pagej1-3
Pagej5
1-4.
Mostjofjthejtaxjcompliancejworkjisjperformedjbyjcommercialjtaxjpreparers,jenrolledjagent
sj(EAs),jattorneys,jandjcertifiedjpublicjaccountantsj(CPAs).jNoncomplexjindividual,jpartnership,ja
ndjcorporatejtaxjreturnsjoftenjarejcompletedjbyjcommercialjtaxjpreparers.jThejpreparationjofjmorej
complexjreturnsjusuallyjisjperformedjbyjEAs,jattorneys,jandjCPAs.jThejlatterjgroupsjalsojprovidejt
axjplanningjservicesjandjrepresentjtheirjclientsjbeforejthejIRS.
AnjEAjisjonejwhojisjadmittedjtojpracticejbeforejthejIRSjbyjpassingjajspecialjIRS-
administeredjexamination,jorjwhojhasjworkedjforjthejIRSjforjfivejyearsjandjisjissuedjajpermitjtojrepre
sentjclientsjbeforejthejIRS.jCPAsjandjattorneysjarejnotjrequiredjtojtakejthisjexaminationjandjarejauto
maticallyjadmittedjtojpracticejbeforejthejIRSjifjtheyjarejinjgoodjstandingjwithjthejappropriatejprofessi
onaljlicensingjboard.
Pagej5jandjCircularj230
1-5.
Taxjplanningjisjthejprocessjofjarrangingjone‘sjfinancialjaffairsjtojminimizejanyjtaxjliability.jM
uchjofjmodernjtaxjpracticejcentersjaroundjthisjprocess,jandjthejresultingjoutcomejisjtaxjavoidance.
Therejisjnothingjillegaljorjimmoraljinjthejavoidancejofjtaxationjasjlongjasjthejtaxpayerjremainsjwithinjl
egaljbounds.jInjcontrast,jtaxjevasionjconstitutesjthejillegaljnonpaymentjofjajtaxjandjcannotjbejcondone
d.jActivitiesjofjthisjsortjclearlyjviolatejexistingjlegaljconstraintsjandjfalljoutsidejofjthejdomainjofjthejpr
ofessionaljtaxjpractitioner.
Pagej6
1-6.
Injanjopenjtaxjplanningjsituation,jthejtransactionjisjnotjyetjcomplete;jtherefore,jthejtaxjpractiti
onerjmaintainsjsomejdegreejofjcontroljoverjthejpotentialjtaxjliability,jandjthejtransactionjmayjbejmodi-
j fiedjtojachievejajmorejfavorablejtaxjtreatment.jInjajclosedjtransactionjhowever,jalljofjthejpertinentjacti
onsjhavejbeenjcompleted,jandjtaxjplanningjactivitiesjmayjbejlimitedjtojthejpresentationjofjthejsituation
jtojthejgovernmentjinjthejmostjlegallyjadvantageousjmannerjpossible.
, Pagej1-4 SOLUTIONSjMANUAL
Pagej6
1-7.
TaxjlitigationjisjthejprocessjofjsettlingjajdisputejwithjthejIRSjinjajcourtjofjlaw.jTypically,jajt
axjattorneyjhandlesjtaxjlitigationjthatjprogressesjbeyondjthejfinaljIRSjappeal.
Pagej6
1-8. CPAsjservejisjajsupportjcapacityjinjtaxjlitigation.
Pagej6
1-9.
Taxjresearchjconsistsjofjthejresolutionjofjunansweredjtaxationjquestions.jThejtaxjresearchjpro
cessjincludesjthejfollowing:
1. Identificationjofjpertinentjissues;
2. Specificationjofjproperjauthorities;
3. Evaluationjofjthejproprietyjofjauthorities;jand,
4. Applicationjofjauthoritiesjtojajspecificjsituation.
Pagej6
1-10.
Circularj230jisjissuedjbyjthejTreasuryjDepartmentjandjappliesjtojalljwhojpracticejbeforejthejI
RS.jPagej7
1-11.
InjadditionjtojCircularj230,jCPAsjmustjfollowjthejAICPA‘sjCodejofjProfessionaljConductj
andjStatementsjonjStandardsjforjTaxjServices.jCPAsjmustjalsojabidejbyjthejrulesjofjthejappropriatej
statejboard(s)jofjaccountancy.
Pagej7
1-12. Ajreturnjpreparerjmustjobtainj18jhoursjofjcontinuingjeducationjfromjanjIRS-
approvedjCEjProvider.jThejhoursjmustjincludejaj6jcreditjhourjAnnualjFederaljTaxjRefresherjcoursej(
AFTR)jthatjcoversjfilingjseasonjissuesjandjtaxjlawjupdates.jThejAFTRjcoursejmustjincludejajknowled
ge-jbasedjcomprehensionjtestjadministeredjatjthejconclusionjofjthejcoursejbyjthejCEjProvider.