Exam 5: Gross Income and Exclusions

Income is included in gross income unless a tax provision specifies that it can be deferred or excluded.

Wherewithal to pay represents the principle that a realized transaction should require a taxpayer to sell other assets in order to pay income taxes.

Barney and Betty got divorced this year. In the divorce decree Betty agreed to transfer 100 shares of common stock worth $50,000 and pay Barney $24,000 per year for five years (or until Barney's death or remarriage). What amount (if any) is included in Barney's gross income this year?

Ben's employer offers employees the following benefits. What amount must Ben include in his gross income? $\quad\quad\quad$ Benefit $\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad Value$ Health insurance coverage $\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad \$5,800$ Group term life insurance (\ 50,000) 4,270 Disability insurance coverage (considered purchased by Ben) 3,600 Whole life insurance coverage $(\$ 100,000) \quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad\quad7,000$

Harold receives a life annuity from his qualified pension that pays him $5,000 per year for as long as he lives. Later this year Harold will recover the remainder of his cost of the annuity. Which of the following correctly describes how the annuity payments are taxed after Harold has recovered the cost of the annuity?

Desai and Lucy divorced this year. Lucy has custody of their child, Andrea, and under the divorce decree Desai pays Lucy $120,000 per year. The payments must be made in cash and will cease if Lucy dies or remarries. The payments drop to $100,000 per year once Andrea reaches the age of 18. How much of the payments should Lucy include in gross income this year?

Charles purchased an annuity from an insurance company that promised to pay him $20,000 per year for the next 12 years. Charles paid $180,000 for the annuity. How much of the first $20,000 payment should Charles include in gross income?

Joyce's employer loaned her $50,000 this year (interest-free) to buy a new car. If the federal interest rate was 3%, which of the following is correct?

Deb has found it very difficult to repay her loans. Because of these difficulties, the bank decided to forgive one of her most recent loans, an amount of $45,000. After the loan was discharged, Deb had total assets of $232,000 and her remaining loans total $217,000. What amount must Deb include in her gross income?

Terri and Mike are seeking a divorce. Terri and Mike own an art collection worth $357,000 that would belong to Terri. Mike offered to make annual payments of cash to Terri each year for five years if Terry allows Mike to take possession of the art collection. Mike insists however, that the annual payments must cease in the event of Terri's death. What amount of annual payment must Terri demand to make her indifferent after taxes between taking possession of the ($357,000) art versus collecting the cash payments? Assume that Terri has a marginal tax rate of 15 percent and Mike's tax rate is 35 percent and ignore the time value of money.

When an asset is sold, the taxpayer calculates the gain or loss by subtracting the tax basis of the asset from the proceeds of the sale.

Qualified fringe benefits received by an employee can be excluded from gross income.

Prizes and awards are generally taxable.

Bernie is a former executive who is retired. This year Bernie received $250,000 in pension payments and $10,000 of social security payments. What amount must Bernie include in his gross income?

Claim of right states that income has been realized if a taxpayer receives income and there are substantial restrictions on the taxpayer's use of the income.

Constructive receipt represents the principle that cash basis taxpayers should be taxed on income when it is made available to them without substantial restrictions.

Sam, age 45, saved diligently for his college education by putting part of his pay into U.S. Series EE saving bonds. Sam purchased the bonds for $6,500, and this year he redeemed the bonds for $7,200. He has no other income this year. What amount must Sam include in his gross income?

Identify which of the items below help determine which taxpayer must recognize earned income:

Gambling winnings are included in gross income only to the extent that the winnings exceed gambling losses incurred during the same period.

When a carpenter provides $100 of services in exchange for $100 of groceries, the carpenter has realized $100 of income.