Spring 2013 Course: Prerequisite: Professor: Office: 2013 Spring Office Hours: Office Phone: E-mail: Required Text:

SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY

Course Syllabus

ACCT 508- Federal Tax Accounting I ACCT 301 with grade of C or better, or ACCT 303 with grade of C- or better. Tim Hurley, M.B.A., J.D., LL.M. SCI 355 SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY Course Syllabus M 3:00-4:00, W 5:00-7:00, TH 6:00-7:00; by appointment thurley@sfsu.edu Hoffman & Smith, Individual Income Taxes, South-Western Federal Taxation 2013

COURSE DESCRIPTION Federal Taxes I is a study of the Internal Revenue Code as it affects individuals and sole proprietorships. Basic competence in tax returns, terminology, and tax calculation are emphasized. Extensive coverage is given to tax accounting methods, rates, exemptions, credits, dependents, gross income inclusions and exclusions, capital gains and losses, deductions associated with a trade or business (including depreciation), and personal deductions such as charitable contributions, interest, taxes, and medical expenses. Married filing jointly, married filing separately, head of a household, surviving spouse, and single filing status are defined and explained. COURSE GOALS: To provide the student with an in-depth look at U.S. federal income tax law with primary emphasis on income taxation for individuals To expose the student to the authoritative sources of U.S. federal income tax law interpretation To begin the development of necessary research skills To make the student aware of the importance of tax planning in business and investment decisions GRADING COMPONENTS Component Exam I Exam II Comprehensive Final Exam 2 Tax Return Assignments Aplia Homework Participation Total Possible Points = Possible Points 100 (approximately 21%) 100 (approximately 21%) 140 (approximately 29%) 65 (approximately14%) 40 (approximately 9%) 30 (approximately 6%) 475

APLIA You must sign up for Aplia. 1. Connect to http://login.cengagebrain.com/ 2. If you already have an account, sign in. From your Dashboard, enter your course key (DB3V-FC2F-GAY3) in the box provided, and click the Register button. If you don't have an account, click the Create a New Account button, and enter your course key when prompted: DB3V-FC2F-GAY3. Continue to follow the on-screen instructions. Aplia is a course page designed by the publisher of the book but controlled by me where I will place the syllabus, homework assignments, practice questions, practice exams, etc. It gives instant feedback on the questions and is a great way to study for an exam. Homework assignments are due on Aplia by Sunday at 11:00 PM. Homework assignments will begin with Chapter 3 (in week 3). Aplia homework is worth 40 points. You will receive 40 points only if you complete all assignments when due and answer 50% of the questions correctly on each assignment. Partial credit is awarded at the professors discretion.
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EMAIL REQUIREMENT The University has assigned you an email address. You are on a class email list that I will use to send important information to you. Thus, you must know your university email address and check your email regularly. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY Plagiarism is a form of cheating or fraud. It occurs when a student misrepresents the work of another as his or her own. Plagiarism may consist of using the ideas, sentences, paragraphs, or the whole text of another without appropriate acknowledgement, but it also includes allowing another person to write or substantially alter work that a student then submits as his or her own. Any assignment found to be plagiarized will be given a failing grade. All instances of plagiarism in the Department of Accounting will be reported to the Department Chair, and may be reported to the University Judicial Affairs Officer for further action. SPECIAL LEARNING OR PHYSICAL ACCOMMODATIONS POLICY If you have a disability and need assistance in any way, please let me know as soon as possible. This course adheres to San Francisco State Universitys policy on the accommodation of disabled students. CLASSROOM POLICIES To maintain an appropriate learning environment in the classroom, students must conduct themselves in a professional manner so as not to disturb other students or the instructor. Please be respectful to other students and to me by arriving to class on time, not sleeping, and not talking during class unless it is to contribute to a class discussion. If it is absolutely necessary to leave during class, then sit near the door. No laptops. Please turn off all phones before coming to class. Texting during class is strictly prohibited. Please take the same seat for each class; it helps me to learn your names. If class is canceled for any reason, the assignments for that day will be due in the next class. Make-up exams Exams will only be given during scheduled class periods. Make-up exams will not be given. If you have a scheduling conflict, then you need to drop the course. Withdrawal from Class If you should decide to drop or withdraw from this course or withdraw from the University, you must comply with the official procedures (confer with the Office of the Registrar) or receive a grade of F for this course. Students who stop attending class without officially withdrawing from the course receive a grade based upon the total points they have accumulated. Ordinarily, the result will be an F grade. Attendance / Participation / Homework Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class meeting. If you do not attend class, it is likely that you will not pass this course. Taxation is not something that you can learn on your own and then take the exam. Like most Accounting courses, this is a problem-based course. At the end of each chapter, you will find problems. In addition, I will post additional problems that we will work in class. It is essential that you work and rework these problems and that you are able to do them on your own before the exam without looking at the answers. It is expected that readings and problems will be completed prior to class. Students should be expected to be called on in class, and students should therefore be prepared to discuss the assigned materials and problems from each class. Participation Generally, I will ask for volunteers to help in class discussions and to assist me in working out homework problems. You earn the participation points for volunteering. If I do not get a volunteer, I will call on students at random. If I call on you and you are unprepared or ill prepared, you will lose participation points.
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Texting During Class If you text during class, you will lose all participation points for that class. If this continues, on the third such occurrence, I will drop your grade one letter grade. Just because I do not call you out during class for texting does not mean that I did not see you. A few comments on grades and grading: Failure to complete all course requirements will result in receiving a course grade of F. Extra credit is not part of the course grading plan. Where there are close calls on grades, I will look to see if there is an improving trend and consider other positive factors in your overall performance such as class participation and conduct. Students are encouraged to discuss concerns about their performance or course grades with the instructor at any time. No grades will be provided or discussed over the telephone. CLASS SCHEDULE This represents planned topics and problems; however, it will be modified as necessary to ensure that course material is covered adequately or to respond to special circumstances. The listing of assignments presented here is incomplete. Additions or deletions will be made as the semester progresses. Note that you must track the progress we have made and make sure you are prepared for class. Chapter Number 1 2 3 Topic AN INTRODUCTION TO TAXATION AND UNDERSTANDING THE FEDERAL TAX LAW Assignment: skim the chapter WORKING WITH THE TAX LAW (READ PAGES 2-1 TO 2-19) Assignment: 11, 17 COMPUTING THE TAX Assignment: 3,4,18,19,20,28,29,32,33,34,39(a)&(b),42,44,47 MIDTERM I (tentative) 100 POINTS GROSS INCOME: CONCEPTS AND INCLUSIONS Assignment: 23 (answer only how much of the $9,000 annuity payment will be included in Bettys income in 2000), 35, 52, 53, 56(a) PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS: DETERMINATION OF GAIN OR LOSS, BASIS CONSIDERATIONS, AND NONTAXABLE EXCHANGES (READ 14-1 TO 14-20) Assignment: 30, 36, 44, 51, 53(a)+(b),; Chapter 3 51 GROSS INCOME: EXCLUSIONS Assignment: 8, 28, 29, 34, 48, 56(b) DEDUCTIONS AND LOSSES: IN GENERAL Assignment: 27, 34, 41, 48, 61 MIDTERM II (tentative) 100 POINTS DEDUCTIONS AND LOSSES: CERTAIN BUSINESS EXPENSES AND LOSSES Assignment: 33, 37, 56 DEPRECIATION, COST RECOVERY, AMORTIZATION, AND DEPLETION Assignment: 31, 33, 34, 36, 37, 40, 49 DEDUCTIONS: EMPLOYEE AND SELF-EMPLOYED-RELATED EXPENSES Assignment: 33, 36, 42, 46, 48 TAX CREDITS AND PAYMENTS Assignment: COMPREHENSIVE FINAL EXAM 140 POINTS May 23 10:45 1:15

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