Discussion - 4 hours. There are no prerequisites, although this course is a prerequisite for most other tax courses. This course surveys the federal income tax system, with consideration of the nature of income, when and to whom income is taxable, exclusions from the tax base, deductions and credits, and tax consequences of property ownership and disposition. Our objective will be to explore and critically evaluate the concepts and policies underlying the federal income tax, as well as to learn to interpret the statutory provisions by which these concepts and policies are implemented.
Taxes touch every aspect of our lives, from cradle to grave, from the child tax credit to what the ill-informed call the "death" tax. Taxes raise revenue, to be sure. But they also stimulate and stunt economic growth; redistribute and concentrate wealth; reward and punish families; influence and distort economic and social behavior. Indeed, taxes reflect and reinforce societal norms and values. Thus, while you will be exposed to the elegant and chaotic intricacies of the Internal Revenue Code ("the Code") in this class, you will also be exposed to the peculiarities of U.S. society, economics, politics, culture, and government. This course is geared to the future general practitioner as well as the future tax and business law specialist.
This course is not particularly numbers or math intensive and prior knowledge of accounting is not necessary (if you can add your fingers together, you'll be fine).
Final Assessment: Exam