PrinciplesofTaxationforBusinessandInvestmentPlanning202023rdEditionby w w w w w w w
wSallyJones, Shelley Rhoades Catanach
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Chapter1TaxesandTaxingJurisdictions w w w w
Questionsand Problems forDiscussion w w
1. Taxpaymentsdifferfromgovernmentfinesandpenalties becausetheyaren‘tintendedto deter
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worpunishunacceptable behavior.Taxpaymentsdiffer fromfeesorusercharges because
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wtheydon‘tentitlethepayertoaspecificgovernmentgoodorservice,suchasa postagestamp
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woradriver‘slicense.Taxpaymentsalsodifferfromfeesorusercharges because they are
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wcompulsory.
2. Thispaymenthascharacteristicsofatax,apenalty,andauserfee.Thecompulsorypayment is not
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wspecificallypunitivebutdoesapplyselectivelytothosecompaniesmostlikely responsiblefor the w w w w w w w w w w w w w
wpollutedconditionofGreenRiver.However,thesesamecompaniesmay betheentitiesthat benefit
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wmost from the environmental clean-up.
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3. Thispaymentmorecloselyresemblesafeeforagovernmentservicethanatransaction-basedtax
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wbecausethetransactionoccursbetweenaprivateparty andthejurisdictionitself,rather than
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wbetweenprivatepartiesengaginginamarkettransaction.Thepaymentalsoentitles thepayertoa
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wspecific benefit (the right to marry under law). w w w w w w w
4. Totheextentthatthedeclineinexterior maintenancereduces thevalueofMr.Powell‘s apartment
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wcomplex,hebearstheincidenceoftheincreasedpropertytax.Totheextentthatthe declinereduces
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wthevalueofadjoiningpropertiesormakestheneighborhoodlessattractive,the owners ofthe
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wadjoiningproperties andtheneighborhoodresidentssharetheincidenceofthe taxincrease.
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5. Peoplewhodon‘tdirectlyusepublicschools(suchasMr.andMrs.Ahernorpeoplewhodon‘thave
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wchildren)indirectly benefitfromapublic educationsystemforthegeneralpopulation. Arguably, public
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weducationcontributes toaskilledworkforceandimproves thecultural andsocial environmentinwhich
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Mr.andMrs.Ahernlive.Basedonthisargument,Mr.andMrs.Ahernshould not be exempt from the local
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wproperty tax. w
6. Theconsumerswhopaythesamepriceforasmallerbarofsoapoflesserqualitybearthe
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wincidence of the new gross receipts tax. w w w w w w
7. Realpropertycan‘t behiddenormoved,anditsownership(legaltitle)isamatter ofpublic
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wrecord.Incontrast,personalpropertyismobileandmaybeeasilyconcealed.Moreover,
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wjurisdictionsmaynothaveaneffectivemeanstodiscoverortraceownershipofpersonal w w w w w w w w w w w w w
wproperty.
8. Arguably,privategolfcoursesbeautifythelocalityandareenvironmentallymoredesirable than
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wothercommercial activities. They alsomay requiremoreacreagethanother businesses and,
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wtherefore, would be at a competitive disadvantage without a preferential real propertytax
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wrate.
9. Manyjurisdictions thatlevypropertytaxesprovideanexemptionforpublicinstitutions,suchas state
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universities orprivate colleges.IfUniversity K isentitledtosuchanexemption, every commercial
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buildingorresidence acquiredby theUniversity reduces thelocaljurisdiction‘s property tax base.
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,10. Excise taxes are imposed on a much narrower range of consumer goods and services than sales
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taxes. Consequently, people can more readily avoid purchasing the specific good or service
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subject to excise tax.
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11. Thetaxincreasemay havereducedtheaggregatedemandforconsumergoods and,
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consequently, municipal residents are buying fewer goods. A second possibility is that
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municipalresidents aretravelingtootherjurisdictionswithlowertaxratesormakingmore
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purchases through mail order catalogs or on-line.
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12. Fromapoliticalperspective,liquorandcigarettessales makeanexcellenttaxbase because
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consumptionofthetwoproducts is purely discretionary,andany declineinconsumption becauseof
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thetaxissociallydesirable.Fromaneconomic perspective,thesesales areagood tax base
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becausethedemandforliquor andcigarettesisrelatively priceinelastic.Inother words,people
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whodrinkandsmokeonaregularbasisbuytheseproductsregardlessofaheavy excisetax.
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13. Thefederalincomehasthebroaderbase.Thefederalpayrolltaxisimposedonwages, salaries, and
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otherformsofcompensationearnedbyemployees.Thefederalincometaxisimposedon alltypes of
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compensationaswellas netbusiness profit,investmentincome,andanyother income item from
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whatever source derived.
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14. Aproperty tax is a periodic (usually annual) tax levied on the ownership of property and basedon
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thevalueofthepropertyonaparticularassessmentdate.Atransfertaxisa transaction-basedtax
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leviedonthetransferofpropertyfromonepartytoanother.Atransfertax is based on the value of the
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property at date of transfer.
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15. Ifthefederalgovernmentcould―piggyback‖ anationalsalestaxonexistingstatesalestax
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collectionsystems, thefederalgovernmentcouldavoidcreatinganewfederal agency for
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collectingthetax.Incontrast,thefederalgovernmentwouldhavetocreateanewcollection system
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foranationalVAT.However,anationalVATwouldbelesslikelytocausejurisdictional conflict
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betweenthefederalgovernmentandthestatesbecausestatesdon‘tdependonVATs as a source
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of revenue.
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16. TheInternalRevenueCodeis federalstatutory law,enactedbyCongress andsignedby the President.
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Technically,Treasuryregulationsonlyinterpretandexplainthestatuteandaren‘tlaws intheirown
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right.Thus,regulationsarelessauthoritativethantheCodeitself.However,because Congress
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authorizedtheTreasury towriteregulations, they arethegovernment‘s official interpretation of
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statutory law. Practically, theregulations carry considerableauthoritative weight.
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Application Problems w
1. a. Thestatementoffactsidentifiesthreetaxpayers:Mr.JoshKenney,JKServices,andJK
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Realty.
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b. Thegovernment ofthelocality inwhichMr.Kenney resides,thestategovernment of
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Vermont,andtheU.S. governmenthavejurisdictiontotax Mr.Kenney.Thelocal
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governments ofthefourcounties inwhichJKServices conducts business,thestate
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governmentofVermont,andtheU.S.governmenthavejurisdictiontotaxJKServices. The
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cityofBoston,thestategovernmentofMassachusetts,andtheU.S.government have
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jurisdiction to tax JK Realty.
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2. a. TheUnitedStateshasjurisdictiontotaxMrs.Maybecausesheisapermanentresident.
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b. TheUnitedStateshasjurisdictiontotaxMrs.MayonlyontheU.S.sourcerental
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income generated by the Manhattan real estate.
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, c. TheUnited Statesdoesnot havejurisdictiontotax Mrs.May.
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d. TheUnited Stateshasjurisdiction totax Mrs. Maybecause sheisaU.S.citizen.
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3. a. TheUnited Stateshas jurisdiction totax Mr.Tompkin because he isaU.S citizen.
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b. TheUnitedStateshasjurisdictiontotaxMr.TompkinonlyontheU.S.sourcerental
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income generated by the Buffalo real estate.
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c. TheUnitedStateshasjurisdiction totax Mr.Tompkinbecause heisapermanent resident.
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d. TheUnitedStateshasjurisdictiontotaxMr.TompkinonhisshareoftheU.S.
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source business income generated by Sophic Partnership.
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4. State A: w
Volumeof salesbeforerateincrease w w w w w $800,000,000
Originaltaxrate w w .05
Revenuebeforerateincrease w w w $40,000,000
Volumeof salesafter rateincrease w w w w w $710,000,000
Newtax rate w w .06
Revenue afterrateincrease w w w $42,600,000
Additionalrevenue($42,600,000−$40,000,000) w w w $2,600,000
StateZ: w
Volumeofsalesaddedtotax base w w w w w w $50,000,000
Tax rate w .05
Additional revenue w $2,500,000
5. a. Thepropertytaxis$8,300($415,0002%).
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b. Thepropertytax is$19,000([$500,000 2%]+[$225,000 4%]).
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6. a. The property tax is$39,000 ($1.3million 3%).
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b. The propertytax is$85,000 ([$2million 3%]+[$2.5million 1%]).
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7. Increase in County G‘s aggregate assessed property tax value
w w w w w w w w $23,000,000
wAssessedvalueofLexon‘snewfacility w w w w w (20,000,000)
Net increase in County G‘s tax base
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wTaxrate w
.04
Net effect onCountyG‘scurrentyear revenue
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8. a. Value of property purchased in State K w w w w w w $600,000
Use tax rate in State H
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.06
Precredit usetax
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Salestax paidtoStateK w w w w w (18,000)
Usetax owedtoStateH w w w w w $18,000
b. Value of property purchased in State L
w w w w w w $750,000
Use tax rate in State H
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.06
Copyright©2020 McGraw-Hill Education. Allrights reserved. w w w w w w
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, Precredit usetax
w w w $45,000
Salestax paidtoStateL
w w w w w (48,750)
Usetax owedtoStateH
w w w w w -0-
Copyright©2020 McGraw-Hill Education. Allrights reserved.
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Noreproductionordistribution withoutthepriorwrittenconsent ofMcGraw-Hill
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Education. w