TAX 4001 - Chapter 5 Part 1

All employees of United Company are covered by a group hospitalization insurance plan, but the employees must pay the premiums ($8,000 for each employee). None of the employees has sufficient medical expenses to deduct the premiums. Instead of giving raises next year, United is considering paying the employee’s hospitalization insurance premiums. If the change is made, the employee’s after­tax and insurance pay will:

Doug and Pattie received the following interest income in the current year:

Savings account at Greenbacks Bank ............................................$4,000
United States Treasury bonds ...........................................................250
Interest on State of Iowa bonds ........................................................200
Interest on Federal tax refund ..........................................................150
Interest on state income tax refund ....................................................75

Greenbacks Bank also gave Doug and Pattie a cellular phone (worth $100) for opening the savings account. What amount of interest income should they report on their joint income tax return?

James, a cash basis taxpayer, received the following compensation and fringe benefits in the current year:

Salary .....................................................................................$66,000
Disability income protection premiums ............................................3,000
Long-term care insurance premiums ...............................................4,000

His actual salary was $72,000. He received only $66,000 because his salary was garnished and the employer paid $6,000 on James’s credit card debt he owed. The wage continuation insurance is available to all employees and pays the employee three-fourths of the regular salary if the employee is sick or disabled. The long-term care insurance is available to all employees and pays $150 per day towards a nursing home or similar facility. What is James’s gross income from the above?

Sharon had some insider information about a corporate takeover. She unintentionally informed a friend, who immediately bought the stock in the target corporation. The takeover occurred and the friend made a substantial profit from buying and selling the stock. The friend told Sharon about his stock dealings, and gave her a pearl necklace because she “made it all possible.” The necklace was worth $10,000, but she already owned more jewelry than she desired.

Christie sued her former employer for a back injury she suffered on the job in 2014. As a result of the injury, she was partially disabled. In 2015, she received $240,000 for her loss of future income, $160,000 in punitive damages because of the employer’s flagrant disregard for the employee’s safety, and $15,000 for medical expenses. The medical expenses were deducted on her 2014 return, reducing her taxable income by $12,000. Christie’s 2015gross income from the above is:

Under the Swan Company’s cafeteria plan, all full­time employees are allowed to select any combination of the benefits below, but the total received by the employee cannot exceed $8,000 a year.

I. Group medical and hospitalization insurance for the employee, $3,600 a year.
II. Group medical and hospitalization insurance for the employee’s spouse and children, $1,200 a year.
III. Child-care payments, actual cost but not more than $4,800 a year.
IV. Cash required to bring the total of benefits and cash to $8,000.

Tommy, a senior at State College, receives free room and board as full compensation for working as a resident advisor at the university dormitory. The regular housing contract is $2,000 a year in total, $1,200 for lodging and $800 for meals in the dormitory. Tommy had the option of receiving the meals or $800 in cash. Tommy accepted the meals. What must Tommy include in gross income from working as a resident advisor?

The plant union is negotiating with the Eagle Company, which is on the verge of bankruptcy. Eagle has offered to pay for the employees’ hospitalization insurance in exchange for a wage reduction. The employees each currently pay premiums of $4,000 a year for their insurance.

Jack received a court award in a civil libel and slander suit against National Gossip. He received $120,000 for damages to his professional reputation, $100,000 for damages to his personal reputation, and $50,000 in punitive damages. Jack must include in his gross income as a damage award:

Adam repairs power lines for the Egret Utilities Company. He is generally working on a power line during the lunch hour. He must eat when and where he can and still get his work done. He usually purchases something at a convenience store and eats in his truck. Egret reimburses Adam for the cost of his meals.

Julie was suffering from a viral infection that caused her to miss work for 90 days. During the first 30 days of her absence, she received her regular salary of $8,000 from her employer. For the next 60 days, she received $12,000 under an accident and health insurance policy purchased by her employer. The premiums on the health insurance policy were excluded from her gross income. During the last 30 days, Julie received $6,000 on an income replacement policy she had purchased. Of the $26,000 she received, Julie must include in gross income:

The employees of Mauve Accounting Services are permitted to use the copy machine for personal purposes, provided the privilege is not abused. Ed is the president of a civic organization and uses the copier to make several copies of the organization’s agenda for its meetings. The copies made during the year would have cost $150 at a local office supply.

As an executive of Cherry, Inc., Ollie receives a fringe benefit in the form of annual tuition scholarships of $10,000 to each of his three children. The scholarships are paid by the company on behalf of the children of key employees directly to each child’s educational institution and are payable only if the student maintains a B average.

Louise works in a foreign branch of her employer’s business. She earned $5,000 per month throughout the relevant period.

Albert had a terminal illness which required almost constant nursing care for the remaining two years of his estimated life, according to his doctor. Albert had a life insurance policy with a face amount of $100,000. Albert had paid $25,000 of premiums on the policy. The insurance company has offered to pay him $80,000 to cancel the policy, although its cash surrender value was only $55,000. Albert accepted the $80,000. Albert used $15,000 to pay his medical expenses. Albert made a miraculous recovery and lived another 20 years. As a result of cashing in the policy:

Theresa sued her former employer for age, race, and gender discrimination. She claimed $200,000 in damages for loss of income, $300,000 for emotional harm, and $500,000 in punitive damages. She settled the claim for $700,000. As a result of the settlement, Theresa must include in gross income:

The Royal Motor Company manufactures automobiles. Non-management employees of the company can buy a new automobile for Royal’s cost plus 2%. The automobiles are sold to dealers at cost plus 20%. Generally, management employees of Local Dealer, Inc., are allowed to buy a new automobile from the company at the dealer’s cost. Which of the following statements is correct?

Swan Finance Company, an accrual method taxpayer, requires all of its customers to carry credit life insurance. If a customer dies, the company receives from the insurance company the balance due on the customer’s loan. Ali, a customer, died owing Swan $1,500. The balance due included $200 accrued interest that Swan has included in income. When Swan collects $1,500 from the insurance company, Swan:

In the case of interest income from state and Federal bonds:

Ridge is the manager of a motel. As a condition of his employment, Ridge is required to live in a room on the premises so that he would be there in case of emergencies. Ridge considered this a fringe benefit, since he would otherwise be required to pay $800 per month rent. The room that Ridge occupied normally rented for $70 per night, or $2,100 per month. On the average, 90% of the motel rooms were occupied. As a result of this rent-free use of a room, Ridge is required to include in gross income.

Early in the year, Marion was in an automobile accident during the course of his employment. As a result of the physical injuries he sustained, he received the following payments during the year:

Reimbursement of medical expenses Marion paid by a medical insurance
policy he purchased .............................................................$10,000
Damage settlement to replace his lost salary .................................15,000

What is the amount that Marion must include in gross income for the current year?

The de minimis fringe benefit:

A company has a medical reimbursement plan for officers that covers all costs that the insurer will not pay. However, for all employees who are not officers, the medical reimbursement plan applies only after the employee has paid $1,000 from his or her own funds. An officer incurred $1,500 in medical expenses and was reimbursed for that amount. An hourly worker also incurred $1,500 in medical expense and was reimbursed $500.

Kristen’s employer owns its building and provides parking space for its employees. The value of the free parking is $150 per month. Karen’s employer does not have parking facilities, but reimburses its employee for the cost of parking in a nearby garage, up to $150 per month.

Iris collected $150,000 on her deceased husband’s life insurance policy. The policy was purchased by the husband’s employer under a group policy. Iris’s husband had included $5,000 in gross income from the group term life insurance premiums during the years he worked for the employer. She elected to collect the policy in 10 equal annual payments of $18,000 each.

A scholarship recipient at State University may exclude from gross income the scholarship proceeds used to pay for:

Carin, a widow, elected to receive the proceeds of a $150,000 life insurance policy on the life of her deceased husband in 10 installments of $17,500 each. Her husband had paid premiums of $60,000 on the policy. In the first year, Carin collected $17,500 from the insurance company. She must include in gross income:

Heather’s interest and gains on investments for the current year are as follows:

Interest on Madison County school bonds .........................................$600
Interest on U.S. government bonds ...................................................700
Interest on a Federal income tax refund .............................................200
Gain on the sale of Madison County school bonds ................................500

Heather’s gross income from the above is:

The exclusion for health insurance premiums paid by the employer applies to:

Ron, age 19, is a full-time graduate student at City University. During 2014, he received the following payments:

Cash award for being the outstanding resident adviser ....................$1,500
Resident adviser housing ...............................................................2,500
State scholarship for ten months (tuition and books) ........................6,000
State scholarship (meals allowance) ...............................................2,400
Loan from college financial aid office ...............................................3,000
Cash support from parents ............................................................2,000

Total .......................................................................................$17,400

Ron served as a resident advisor in a dormitory and, therefore, the university waived the $2,500 charge for the room he occupied. What is Ron’s adjusted gross income for 2014?

During the current year, Khalid was in an automobile accident and suffered physical injuries. The accident was caused by Rashad’s negligence. Khalid threatened to file a lawsuit against Amber Trucking Company, Rashad’s employer, claiming $50,000 for pain and suffering, $90,000 for loss of income, and $70,000 in punitive damages. Amber’s insurance company will not pay punitive damages; therefore, Amber has offered to settle the case for $100,000 for pain and suffering, $90,000 for loss of income, and nothing for punitive damages. Khalid is in the 35% marginal tax bracket. What is the after­tax difference to Khalid between Khalid’s original claim and Amber’s offer?

Evaluate the following statements:

I. De minimis fringe benefits are those that are so immaterial that accounting for them is impractical.
II. De minimis fringe benefits are subject to strict anti-discrimination requirements.
III. Generally, a fringe benefit of less than $50 is considered de minimis and can be excluded from gross income.

Matilda works for a company with 1,000 employees. The company has a hospitalization insurance plan that covers all employees. However, the employee must pay the first $3,000 of his or her medical expenses each year. Each year, the employer contributes $1,500 to each employee’s health savings account (HSA). Matilda’s employer made the contributions in 2014 and 2015, and the account earned $100 interest in 2015. At the end of 2015, Matilda withdrew $3,100 from the account to pay the deductible portion of her medical expenses for the year and other medical expenses not covered by the hospitalization insurance policy. As a result, Matilda must include in her 2015 gross income:

Barney is a full-time graduate student at State University. He serves as a teaching assistant for which he is paid $700 per month for 9 months and his $5,000 tuition is waived. The university waives tuition for all of its employees. In addition, he receives a $1,500 research grant to pursue his own research and studies. Barney’s gross income from the above is:

The Perfection Tax Service gives employees $12.50 as “supper money” when they are required to work overtime, approximately 25 days each year. The supper money received:

Turquoise Company purchased a life insurance policy on the company’s chief executive officer, Joe. After the company had paid $400,000 in premiums, Joe died and the company collected the $1.5 million face amount of the policy. The company also purchased group term life insurance on all its employees. Joe had included $16,000 in gross income for the group term life insurance premiums. Joe’s widow, Rebecca, received the $100,000 proceeds from the group term life insurance policy.

George, an unmarried cash basis taxpayer, received the following amounts during 2014:

Interest on savings accounts ........................................................$2,000
Interest on a State tax refund ..........................................................600
Interest on City of Salem school bonds ..............................................350
Interest portion of proceeds of a 5% bank certificate of deposit purchased on July 1, 2013, and matured on June 30, 2014 ..................................250
Dividends on USG common stock ......................................................300

What amount should George report as gross income from dividends and interest for 2014?

Olaf was injured in an automobile accident and received $25,000 for his physical injury, $50,000 for his loss of income, and $10,000 punitive damages. As a result of the award, the amount Olaf must include in gross income is:

Employees of the Valley Country Club are allowed to use the golf course without charge before and after working hours on Mondays, when the number of players on the course is at its lowest. Tom, an employee of the country club played 40 rounds of golf during the year at no charge when the non-employee charge was $20 per round.

Heather is a full­time employee of the Drake Company and participates in the company’s flexible spending plan that is available to all employees. Which of the following is correct?

Ben was diagnosed with a terminal illness. His physician estimated that Ben would live no more than 18 months. After he received the doctor’s diagnosis, Ben cashed in his life insurance policy and used the proceeds to take a trip to see relatives and friends before he died. Ben had paid $12,000 in premiums on the policy, and he collected $50,000, the cash surrender value of the policy. Henry enjoys excellent health, but he cashed in his life insurance policy to purchase a new home. He had paid premiums of $12,000 and collected $50,000 from the insurance company.

Emily is in the 35% marginal tax bracket. She can purchase a York County school bond yielding 3.5% interest and the interest is not subject to a 5% state tax. But she is interested in earning a higher return for comparable risk.

The First Chance Casino has gambling facilities, a bar, a restaurant, and a hotel. All employees are allowed to obtain food from the restaurant at no charge during working hours. In the case of the employees who operate the gambling facilities, bar, and restaurant, 60% of all of Casino’s employees, the meals are provided for the convenience of the Casino. However, the hotel workers, demanded equal treatment and therefore were also allowed to eat in the restaurant at no charge while they are at work. Which of the following is correct?

The taxpayer’s marginal tax bracket is 25%. Which would the taxpayer prefer?

Jena is a full-time undergraduate student at State University and is claimed by her parents as a dependent. Her only source of income is a $10,000 athletic scholarship ($1,000 for books, $5,500 tuition, $500 student activity fee, and $3,000 room and board). Jena’s gross income for the year is:

Peggy is an executive for the Tan Furniture Manufacturing Company. Peggy purchased furniture from the company for $9,500, the price Tan ordinarily would charge a wholesaler for the same items. The retail price of the furniture was $12,500, and Tan’s cost was $9,000. The company also paid for Peggy’s parking space in a garage near the office. The parking fee was $600 for the year. All employees are allowed to buy furniture at a discounted price comparable to that charged to Peggy. However, the company does not pay other employees’ parking fees. Peggy’s gross income from the above is:

The taxpayer is a Ph.D. student in accounting at City University. The student is paid $1,500 per month for teaching two classes. The total amount received for the year is $13,500.

An employee can exclude from gross income the value of meals provided by his or her employer whenever:

Cash received by an employee from an employer:

A U.S. citizen worked in a foreign country for the period July 1, 2013 through August 1, 2014. Her salary was $10,000 per month. Also, in 2013 she received $5,000 in dividends from foreign corporations (not qualified dividends). No dividends were received in 2014. Which of the following is correct?