ACCT 429 DeVry All Week Discussions

ACCT 429 DeVry All Week Discussions 

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ACCT 429 DeVry All Week Discussions 

ACCT 429 DeVry Week 1 Discussion 1 

Does the Tax Code Need Fixing? (graded) 

Here's the perennial question: Should the current federal income tax system be reformed? In answering this question, 

consider and discuss a number of factors, such as (1) whether the current system is fair to all taxpayers; (2) whether 

the system is too complex; (3) whether the system is too expensive to administer; and (4) whether the current system 

is effective at raising revenue while not impacting business, personal, and financial decisions or operations adversely. 

These are the same general factors that courts and Congress tend to consider. What do you think and why? 


Progressive Taxation: Good or Evil? (graded) 

We've all heard talk show hosts rail about this many times: It's unfair that the rich pay more in taxes than the poor or 

the middle class. Is it? If not, why not? If so, why? In answering this question, apply some of the theories and concepts 

that you've encountered so far in the course, and don't be shy about researching this question on the Internet! 


At-risk Rules and At-risk Limitations (graded) 

Before the passage of the 1986 Act, Congress attempted to impose restrictions on the abuses associated with the atrisk 

provisions of 1976 as set out in Code Section 465. In summary, the at-risk rules disallowed losses in excess of the 

investment. Discuss the at-risk limitations relating to individuals and closely held corporations. 


So You Want to Own and Rent Real Estate? (graded) 

Admit it. You've watched that late-night infomercial describing how you can become a multimillionaire virtually overnight 

by leveraging your good looks and sparkling personality (and little else...) to invest in real estate. All joking aside, 

investing in real estate does present some opportunity for the creation of wealth, much like any other investment does. 

Taxation of rental real estate, however, does present some unique rules, and these rules can have a dramatic impact 

on the investor's realized gain or loss from the real-estate rental activity. Let's begin outlining the tax consequences by 

describing the various capacities in which an individual can own and rent real estate. Asked differently, are there 

distinctions in the tax law that depend on the manner in which the property is held or used, such as between those who 

rent real estate as a full-time business and those who merely rent a vacation home? What are the rules that we follow 

in telling one type of rental property or rental ownership from another? 

ACCT 429 DeVry Week 3 Discussion 1

Basis: What Is It and Why Do We Care? (graded) 

The notion of basis is crucially important in determining the tax consequences that result from virtually any propertybased 

transactions, whether it is the sale of $100 of stock, or a $10,000,000,000 merger of two multinational 

corporations. It's important, then, to answer one key question: What exactly is basis? How is it used in calculating the 

gain or loss that results from the sale of capital property? What is the rationale or justification for considering basis in 

calculating the amount of gain or loss? 


You Decide: Tax Capital Gains (graded) 

The question of whether capital gains should be subject to the federal income tax has long been a subject of debate. 

Today, however, the issue has become less abstract and theoretical, because many congress people (and pundits and 

commentators, etc.) are openly advocating substantial reductions in or outright abolition of all such taxes. Scour the 

Internet for commentary on this issue, and consider the arguments in light of what you know about capital gains taxes. 

Is the capital gains tax a good tax? Why or why not? In making your decision (and explaining your answer), make sure 

that you consider some of the fundamental requirements of a good tax that we explored in Week 1, such as fairness, 

efficacy in raising funds, and relative ease of administration. Include links to and summaries of the articles that you've 

reviewed and found particularly influential so that we can all comment on this issue! Week 4 discussion 


Employee or Proprietor: Who Cares? (graded) 

For most of us, work is work. We put in the same amount of effort whether we work as employees for a company or we 

are self-employed. (That point is arguable, of course, but just agree with me for the sake of argument). While the work 

itself may be created equal, however, the tax consequences arising from them are not. Self-employed individuals may 

be entitled to a greater range of deductions, but they also might very well be responsible for paying additional taxes. 

Furthermore, we know employees can receive a lot of valuable perks from their employers, and that these perks present 

specific tax consequences as well. In light of this news, it makes sense to start with the fundamental question: How do 

we tell whether someone is an employee or whether he or she is self-employed for purposes of the Code? 


Family-Based Deductions (graded) 

This week, we're reviewing some of the most common federal income tax deductions for individuals. Many of them 

could perhaps be classified as family-based deductions, or enacted deductions that target those who might have 

children or other types of family obligations to fulfill. Is there an underlying theme or purpose to most of these 

deductions? If so, what is it? Do the deductions that Congress has enacted advance this purpose? Is this something 

that Congress should be doing at all? Provide an example of two such deductions, and supplement your argument with 

outside resources discussing the pros, cons, and impacts of these deductions. There are a lot of available choices! 


Corporate Formation and the Tax Agent (graded) 

As you’ve undoubtedly learned by now, you often have to focus on the details in tax law, and the rules surrounding 

corporate formation are no exception to this rule. We know that a corporation is generally seen as a separate taxable 

entity from its shareholders. As a result, corporate formations, which involve transfers of property between the 

shareholders and the corporation, would generally be taxable to both the corporation and the shareholders. It’s no 

surprise that this result would often discourage corporate formation. Congress remedied this particular problem by 

enacting Section 351, and your text details how this provision generally operates. Did Congress craft a provision that 

allows corporations and their shareholders to avoid taxation on these transactions permanently, or did it have something 

else in mind? Support your answer!


Taxation of Corporate Dividends (graded) 

Relatively recent revisions to the Code have modified the tax treatment of dividends. Put your Internet research skills 

to use and tell me about these changes and their consequences. In particular, tell me (1) what dividends are, as defined 

by the Code; (2) what the recent changes effectively do (and how it was different from the prior approach to the taxation 

of dividends); and (3) what the changes sought to achieve (in other words, why was the change made?). 


S Corporations: Can Just Anyone Join? (graded) 

In enacting Subchapter S of the Code, Congress decided to give a certain group of corporations a break from the 

burden of double taxation. Given this fact, there must be limitations on the corporations that can select S corporation 

status! Provide an example of one such limitation, including the text of the Code section that provides the limitation. 

(We might as well get a look at a verbatim Code section or two during the course of this class!) 


Separately Stated Income? (graded) 

By now, you're probably of the opinion that the distinction between separately stated and no separately stated income 

is one of the most confusing concepts that you’ve encountered this week. For Congress to come up with something 

this confusing, you know there must have been a good reason (or at least we'd like to think so!). Think about the concept 

for a moment. What is the broad tax policy behind separating these two categories of income? What is Congress trying 

to achieve? What problems does it prevent? What problems does it cause? 


Take Your Partner… or Not (graded) 

As we've learned this week, choosing a partnership as a tax entity has consequences, and those consequences often 

are different than those that arise from choosing the corporate form. Many of these consequences can be quite 

dramatic, particularly if the business goes sour or if catastrophic, unforeseen circumstances arise—and many of them 

don't have a thing to do with taxes. What are some of the more significant nontax consequences of choosing the 

partnership form? Which ones do you think are the most important, and why? 


Does the Tax Code Need to Be Fixed? (graded) 

We began this class with this question. After learning as much over the last 7 weeks as we have about the federal 

income tax system, it also seems an appropriate place to end it. Have your thoughts on the matter changed? Why or 

why not? By now, you should at least be able to discuss your agreement and/or concerns in much more detail, given 

your impressive knowledge on the subject. Don't forget to consider the types of factors that we stressed at the beginning 

of the course and that we have been revisiting every week since that point in time!

ACCT 429 DeVry All Week Discussions

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