Tax Essay

-------------------------------------------------

Department of Accounting Eller College of Management University of Arizona

ACCT 420 Principles of Federal Taxation – Spring 2015

Syllabus

Professor: Katharine Drake, Ph.D., CPA Teaching Assistant: Shiue Yin

Office location: McClelland Hall 301R Office location: McClelland Hall 314 or 313

Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays Office hours: TBD

2:00-4:00, and by appointment

E-mail: kddrake@email.arizona.edu

Web Site: https://blackboard.eller.arizona.edu

Textbook: Spilker et al. Essentials of Federal Taxation, 2015 Edition. McGraw-Hill Irwin Publishers. The custom edition for the University of Arizona is likely your least expensive option, but the regular edition is also acceptable. Note that tax law changes annually so it is important that you buy the current edition of the text.

Catalog Description: Principles of federal income taxation, with emphasis on how individuals are taxed; additional topics. Graduate-level requirements include a special project.

Prerequisites: advanced standing in accounting.

Course Objectives: This course is designed to help you acquire a broad perspective on federal taxation. The course will integrate tax compliance, tax planning, accounting, economics, and finance. While we will examine current tax rules, we will also develop a framework to think about taxes that is not specific to the current federal system. If you master the material in this course, you will be able to apply this framework to personal and business decisions, assess potential compliance and planning ramifications of current and perspective tax rules, understand tax computations for individuals, devise alternative strategies that minimize taxes and maximize after-tax wealth, and develop a sufficient foundation for CPA exam preparation.

Course Grade: I will determine course grades on the basis of total points earned. I will assign points as follows:

Quizzes 20 quizzes x 10...