Federal Tax Accounting

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School of Global Business: Undergraduate Program
Course Syllabus: BA326 – Federal Tax Accounting
Fall Semester 2014
Tuesday/Thursday mornings 8:30 – 10:10

(Brubaker Hall Room 303)

Prof. T. M. Brinker, Jr., LL.M., CPA

Professor of Accounting

Course Description
Introductory exposure to federal income tax legislation, rules and regulations applicable to
tax determination for individuals, corporations and partnerships. The course
emphasizes the relationship among tax theory, tax preparation, and tax planning.
Specifically, this course examines the federal income tax system with particular
reference to the taxation of individuals.
The application of income tax laws to the transactions of individuals and businesses is
critical to business students in planning for the avoidance, minimization, and
deferral of taxation. In addition, ethical concerns in Tax Practice will be stressed
throughout the course.

Course Objectives
Upon completion of the work required for this course, the student should be able to
understand and apply the following fundamental tax concepts:

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-gross income,
-exclusions from gross income,
-deductions vs. tax credits,
-capital gains and losses,
-taxation of life insurance and annuities,
-income taxation of partners and partnerships; and
-fundamental tax issues pertaining to corporations and their shareholders.

Pre-Requisites
BA 202 - Managerial Accounting

Course Text and Readings
Fundamentals of Income Taxation by: Christopher P. Woehrle and Thomas M. Brinker, Jr.
(Editors), Tenth Edition, The American College, 2011. Chapters 1 – 20 (inclusive)
will be covered. A newer edition of the textbook is now available.
- Additional discussion topics will be distributed prior to class.
- Please acquire a 3-ring binder – distributions will be extensive.

Contact Information
Office Telephone: 215-572-4039/610-459-1845
Office: Brubaker 317
Office Hours: Posted at Brubaker 317
E-Mail:
[email protected]
School Cancellation Information: Day: #338 and
evening: #2338

E-mail and Blackboard
We will be using Arcadia University e-mail and Blackboard. Make certain your account is
active and accessible. Check it routinely for announcements, course information, and
assignment materials. All PowerPoint Presentations will either be made available in class or
on-line (via Blackboard).

3

About Your Instructor
Thomas M. Brinker, Jr., CPA/PFS, ChFC, CGMA, CFE, AEP is Professor of Accounting at
Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania. He also serves as Executive Director for the MBA
program and Chair for the School of Global Business. He is a graduate of Saint Joseph’s University,
where he graduated cum laude. He also holds Masters degrees in Taxation (M.S.T.) and Accounting
(M.S.A.) from Widener University, a Juris Doctorate in International Law from Columbia Pacific
University, and an LL.M. in International Taxation from Regent University School of Law, where he
received the distinction of “Outstanding Graduate” in his class. Mr. Brinker is also a member of the
American and Pennsylvania Institutes of Certified Public Accountants, the International Bar
Association, and the Caribbean Bar Association. In addition to presenting nationally and
internationally on various tax topics, he has published dozens of articles in numerous journals,
including The Journal of Accountancy, The Journal of International Taxation, The Tax Adviser, The
CPA Journal, The Journal of Practical Estate Planning, and The Journal of Financial Services
Professionals.
In addition to lecturing in the graduate and professional programs of several Philadelphia
Universities, Professor Brinker is a Tax Consultant to the financial services industry and local CPA
and law firms. He has received awards for teaching excellence, including the PICPA’s Educator of the
Year Award and the Lindback Foundation Award for Distinguished Teaching. At the undergraduate
level, Tom lectures primarily in tax accounting, individual taxation, and taxation for closely-held
businesses. He also lectures and writes extensively on the financial and tax planning implications
encountered by families with special needs children. Prior to joining the faculty of Arcadia University,
Mr. Brinker was founding partner in a local CPA firm and member of both the audit and tax
departments of Coopers & Lybrand and Arthur Young & Company.

Competency Assessment
Student evaluation is conducted through the use of assignments and examinations. ALL
assignments are due when requested. A penalty of 10 points per day will be assessed to late
filing of assignments and examinations. There are no exceptions.

Exams:
There will two exams given over the course of the semester. Each exam is worth 25 percent
and will constitute 50 percent of your grade. Each will be a take home examination. The
exams will test your understanding of the concepts discussed in the course.

Case Study:
The required Individual Income Tax Case Study with related questions will be made
available in class or on-line and collected on an announced date.

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Course Research Paper:
The course research paper can cover any pre-approved topic involving a tax issue of
interest to the student. The completed research paper is expected to be no longer than 1,500
to 1,750 words excluding references, exhibits, and other citations. Your discussion should
include a comprehensive analysis of the authority (Court decisions, Internal Revenue Code,
Treasury Regulations and IRS pronouncements, i.e., Revenue Rulings) that pertain to the
issues.

Editorial Format for Written Papers:
All written assignments are to follow the APA writing style guidelines for grammar,
spelling, and punctuation. Visit the following websites to www.apastyle.org and
http://www.liunet.edu/cwis/cwp/library/workshop/citapa.htm for guidelines. In addition,
the course research paper must be prepared in Microsoft® Word® using the Times New
Roman font, 12 point, single space, double space between paragraphs. Each page must be
numbered and your last name included on the upper left hand corner of each page.

Attendance & Participation
The University has adopted a specific policy with regard to academic dishonesty and class
absences. Any student found cheating would receive a Zero for that part of the course. A
final grade of F will be assigned upon a second such incident. See your Student Handbook
for details.
As a general rule, attendance for the full class period is expected for this course. Students
missing more than four (Tuesday/Thursday) class periods will subject themselves to
penalties including a Failing Grade (F).

Grade Components and Final Grade Calculation
The case study and research paper will be due toward the end of the semester.
Examinations will be given during the fifth week (late September) and eleventh
week (early November) of class and will be weighted as follows:
Case Study/Questions

5%

Research Paper Submission

10

Examinations

50

Final Examination (per schedule)

35

5

TOTAL POINTS

100%

THE FINAL EXAMINATION WILL BE CUMULATIVE

Numerical Grades will be translated to letter grades as follows:
93-100
90-92
87-89
83-86
80-82
77-79
73-76
70-72
67-69
60-66
< 60

A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
F

Course Schedule
WEEK OF

DISCUSSION TOPICS

READINGS

Aug 25

Overview of the Income Tax System

Chapters 1 - 3

Sept 1

Basic Income Tax Concepts

Chapter 4

Sept 8

Items of Gross Income

Chapter 5

Sept 15

Exclusions from Gross Income

Chapter 6

Sept 22

EXAM #1 (Chapters 1 – 6)

Sept 22

Business Expenses and Expenses for the

Chapter 7

Production of Income
Sept 29

Deductions for Losses and Bad Debts

Chapter 8

Oct 6

Itemized Deductions

Chapter 9

Oct 13

Tax Credits

Chapter 10

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Oct 20

Cost Recovery Deductions; PALs

Chapters 11 & 12

Oct 27

Sales and Exchanges

Chapters 13

Nov 3

Capital Gains and Losses; AMT

Chapters 14 & 15

Nov 10

EXAM #2 (Chapters 7 - 14)

Nov 10

Taxation of Life Insurance

Chapters 16 & 17

Nov 17/24

Taxation of Corporations/Shareholders

Chapters 18 & 19

Dec 1

Taxation of Partners and Partnerships

Chapter 20

Thursday, December 4

Review for Final Examination

COMPREHENSIVE FINAL EXAMINATION
Thanksgiving Break: November 26 - 30
Last Day of Fall Term: December 8
Final Examination period: December 9 (4 p.m.) - 16

Class Policies
As previously indicated under Competency Assessment, ALL assignments are due when
requested. A penalty of 10 points per day will be assessed to late filing of assignments and
examinations. There are no exceptions.

Miscellaneous (Classroom Etiquette)
The using of cellular telephones are not permitted in class (nor is texting). In addition, food is
not permitted in the classroom. Beverages are permitted. In addition, please be respectful of
your colleagues at all times during class discussions and examinations.

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ALL ASSIGNMENTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

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