Question: Hamlet acquires a 7-year class asset

> John, an engineer, operates a separate business that he acquired eight years ago. If he participates 85 hours in the business and it incurs a loss of $34,000, under what circumstances can John claim an active loss?

> In the current year, White, Inc., earns $400,000 from operations and receives $36,000 in dividends and interest from various portfolio investments. White also pays $150,000 to acquire a 20% interest in a passive activity that produces a $200,000 loss. a

> Leon sells his interest in a passive activity for $100,000. Determine the tax effect of the sale based on each of the following independent facts: a. Adjusted basis in this investment is $35,000. Losses from prior years that were not deductible due to t

> Sarah has investments in four passive activity partnerships purchased several years ago. Last year, the income and losses were as follows: Activity Income (Loss) A ……………………………………………………..$ 30,000 B …

> Jorge owns two passive investments, Activity A and Activity B. He plans to dispose of Activity A in the current year or next year. Juanita has offered to buy Activity A this year for an amount that would produce a taxable passive gain to Jorge of $115,0

> A number of years ago, Kay acquired an interest in a partnership in which she is not a material participant. Kay’s basis in her partnership interest at the beginning of 2014 is $40,000. Kay’s share of the partnership loss is $35,000 in 2014, while her sh

> In the current year, Bill Parker (54 Oak Drive, St. Paul, MN 55164) is considering making an investment of $60,000 in Best Choice Partnership. The prospectus provided by Bill’s broker indicates that the partnership investment is not a passive activity an

> Drake Appliance Company, an accrual basis taxpayer, sells home appliances and service contracts. Determine the effects of each of the following transactions on the company’s 2015 gross income assuming that the company uses any available options to defer

> In 2014, Fred invested $50,000 in a general partnership. Fred’s interest is not considered to be a passive activity. If his share of the partnership losses is $35,000 in 2014 and $25,000 in 2015, how much can he deduct in each year?

> Mary, a single taxpayer with two dependent children, has the following items of income and expense during 2015: Gross receipts from business………………………….$144,000 Business expenses………………………………………….180,000 Alimony received …………………………………………..22,000 Interest

> In 2012, John opened an investment account with Randy Hansen, who held himself out to the public as an investment adviser and securities broker. John contributed $200,000 to the account in 2012. John provided Randy with a power of attorney to use the $20

> Olaf lives in the state of Minnesota. A tornado hit the area and damaged his home and automobile. Applicable information is as follows: Because of the extensive damage caused by the tornado, the President designated the area a disaster area. Olaf and h

> Mary, a single taxpayer, purchased 10,000 shares of § 1244 stock several years ago at a cost of $20 per share. In November of the current year, Mary receives an offer to sell the stock for $12 per share. She has the option of either selling all of the st

> Jake and Mary Snow are residents of the state of New York. They are cash basis taxpayers and file a joint return for the calendar year. Jake is a licensed master plumber. Two years ago, Jake entered into a contract with New York City to perform plumbing

> Sam Jones owns a granite stone quarry. When he acquired the land, Sam allocated $800,000 of the purchase price to the quarry’s recoverable mineral reserves, which were estimated at 10 million tons of granite stone. Based on these estimates, the cost depl

> Mike Saxon is negotiating the purchase of a business. The final purchase price has been agreed upon, but the allocation of the purchase price to the assets is still being discussed. Appraisals on a warehouse range from $1,200,000 to $1,500,000

> Jamie purchased $100,000 of new office furniture for her business in June of the current year. Jamie understands that if she elects to use ADS to compute her regular income tax, there will be no difference between the cost recovery for computing the regu

> In 2015, Muhammad purchased a new computer for $16,000. The computer is used 100% for business. Muhammad did not make a § 179 election with respect to the computer. He does not claim any available additional first-year depreciation. If Muhammad uses the

> Accounting students understand that the accrual method of accounting is superior to the cash method for measuring the income and expenses from an ongoing business for financial reporting purposes. Thus, CPAs advise their clients to use the accrual method

> On May 28, 2015, Mary purchased and placed in service a new $20,000 car. The car was used 60% for business, 20% for production of income, and 20% for personal use in 2015. In 2016, the usage changed to 40% for business, 30% for production of income, and

> On June 5, 2014, Leo purchased and placed in service a new car that cost $20,000. The business-use percentage for the car is always 100%. Leo claims any available additional first-year depreciation. Compute Leo’s cost recovery deduction for 2014 and 2015

> On October 15, 2015, Jon purchased and placed in service a used car. The purchase price was $25,000. This was the only business-use asset Jon acquired in 2015. He used the car 80% of the time for business and 20% for personal use. Jon used the MACRS stat

> Jabari Johnson is considering acquiring an automobile at the beginning of 2015 that he will use 100% of the time as a taxi. The purchase price of the automobile is $35,000. Johnson has heard of cost recovery limits on automobiles and wants to know the ma

> Olga is the proprietor of a small business. In 2015, the business’s income, before consideration of any cost recovery or § 179 deduction, is $250,000. Olga spends $600,000 on new 7-year class assets and elects to take the § 179 deduction on them. She doe

> Lori, who is single, purchased 5-year class property for $200,000 and 7-year class property for $400,000 on May 20, 2015. Lori expects the taxable income derived from her business (without regard to the amount expensed under § 179) to be about $800,000.

> During March 2015, Sam constructed new agricultural fences on his farm. The cost of the fencing was $80,000. Sam does not elect immediate expensing under § 179 and he does not claim any available additional first-year depreciation. However, an election n

> Janice acquired an apartment building on June 4, 2015, for $1.6 million. The value of the land is $300,000. Janice sold the apartment building on November 29, 2021. a. Determine Janice’s cost recovery deduction for 2015. b. Determine Janice’s cost reco

> On May 5, 2015, Christy purchased and placed in service a hotel. The hotel cost $10.8 million. Calculate Christy’s cost recovery deductions for 2015 and for 2025.

> Debra acquired the following new assets during 2015. Determine Debra’s cost recovery deductions for the current year. Debra does not elect immediate expensing under § 179. She does not claim any available additional first-ye

> Each Saturday morning, Ted makes the rounds of the local yard sales. He has developed a keen eye for bargains, but he cannot use all of the items he thinks are “real bargains.” Ted has found a way to share the benefits of his talent with others. If Ted s

> Juan, a sole proprietor, acquires a new 5-year class asset on March 14, 2015, for $200,000. This is the only asset Juan acquired during the year. He does not elect immediate expensing under § 179. Juan does not claim any available additional first-year d

> On November 4, 2013, Blue Company acquired an asset (27.5-year residential real property) for $200,000 for use in its business. In 2013 and 2014, respectively, Blue took $642 and $5,128 of cost recovery. These amounts were incorrect; Blue applied the wro

> In 2015, Rose, Inc., has QPAI of $4 million and taxable income of $3 million. Rose pays independent contractors $500,000. Rose’s W–2 wages are $600,000, but only $400,000 of the wages are paid to employees engaged in qualified domestic production activit

> Sarah Ham, operating as a sole proprietor, manufactures printers in the United States. For 2015, the proprietorship has QPAI of $400,000. Sarah’s modified AGI was $350,000. The W–2 wages paid by the proprietorship to employees engaged

> Blue Corporation, a manufacturing company, decided to develop a new line of merchandise. The project began in 2015. Blue had the following expenses in connection with the project. The new product will be introduced for sale beginning in July 2017. Deter

> Dan Simms is the president and sole shareholder of Simms Corporation, 1121 Madison Street, Seattle, WA 98121. Dan plans for the corporation to make a charitable contribution to the University of Washington, a qualified public charity. He will have the co

> In 2015, Gray Corporation, a calendar year C corporation, holds a $75,000 charitable contribution carryover from a gift made in 2010. Gray is contemplating a gift of land to a qualified charity in either 2015 or 2016. Gray purchased the land as an invest

> For each of the following independent transactions, calculate the recognized gain or loss to the seller and the adjusted basis to the buyer. a. Bonnie sells Parchment, Inc. stock (adjusted basis $17,000) to Phillip, her brother, for its fair market val

> Brittany Callihan sold stock (basis of $184,000) to her son, Ridge, for $160,000, the fair market value. a. What are the tax consequences to Brittany? b. What are the tax consequences to Ridge if he later sells the stock for $190,000? For $152,000?

> Nancy, the owner of a very successful hotel chain in the Southeast, is exploring the possibility of expanding the chain into a city in the Northeast. She incurs $35,000 of expenses associated with this investigation. Based on the regulatory environment f

> Trip Garage, Inc. (459 Ellis Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17111), is an accrual basis taxpayer that repairs automobiles. In late December 2015, the company repaired Samuel Mosley’s car and charged him $1,000. Samuel did not think the problem had been fixed, s

> Jarret owns City of Charleston bonds with an adjusted basis of $190,000. During the year, he receives interest payments of $3,800. Jarret partially financed the purchase of the bonds by borrowing $100,000 at 5% interest. Jarret’s interest payments on the

> Ella owns 60% of the stock of Peach, Inc. The stock has declined in value since she purchased it five years ago. She is going to sell 5% of the stock to a relative. Ella is also going to make a gift of 10% of the stock to another relative. Identify the r

> Melissa, the owner of a sole proprietorship, does not provide health insurance for her 20 employees. She plans to spend $1,500 lobbying in opposition to legislation that would require her to provide such insurance. Discuss the tax advantages and disadva

> Quail Corporation anticipates that being positively perceived by the individual who is elected mayor will be beneficial for business. Therefore, Quail contributes to the campaigns of both the Democratic and Republican candidates. The Republican candidate

> Jebali Company reports gross income of $340,000 and other property-related expenses of $229,000 and uses a depletion rate of 14%. Calculate Jebali’s depletion allowance for the current year.

> On April 5, 2015, Kinsey places in service a new automobile that cost $36,000. He does not elect § 179 expensing, and he elects not to take any available additional first-year depreciation. The car is used 70% for business and 30% for personal

> In 2015, McKenzie purchased qualifying equipment for his business that cost $212,000. The taxable income of the business for the year is $5,600 before consideration of any § 179 deduction. Calculate McKenzie’s § 179 expense deduction for 2015 and any car

> Lopez acquired a building on June 1, 2010, for $1 million. Calculate Lopez’s cost recovery deduction for 2015 if the building is: a. Classified as residential rental real estate. b. Classified as nonresidential real estate

> Sandstorm Corporation decides to develop a new line of paints. The project begins in 2015. Sandstorm incurs the following expenses in 2015 in connection with the project: Salaries ……………………………………. $85,000 Materials …………………………………… 30,000 Depreciation on e

> Selma operates a contractor’s supply store. She maintains her books using the cash method. At the end of the year, her accountant computes her accrual basis income that is used on her tax return. For 2015, Selma reported cash receipts of $1.4 million, wh

> Tabitha sells real estate on March 2 for $260,000. The buyer, Ramona, pays the real estate taxes of $5,200 for the calendar year, which is the real estate property tax year. Assume that this is not a leap year. a. Determine the real estate taxes apporti

> Stanford owns and operates two dry cleaning businesses. He travels to Boston to discuss acquiring a restaurant. Later in the month, he travels to New York to discuss acquiring a bakery. Stanford does not acquire the restaurant but does purchase the baker

> Vella owns and operates an illegal gambling establishment. In connection with this activity, he has the following expenses during the year: Rent ………………………………………… $ 24,000 Bribes ………………………………………… 40,000 Travel expenses ……………………………. 4,000 Utilities ………………

> Liz and Doug were divorced on July 1 of the current year after 10 years of marriage. Their current year’s income received before the divorce included: Doug’s salary…………………………………………………………………………$41,000 Liz’s salary………………………………………………………………………………55,000 R

> Andy reported the following gains and losses from the sale of capital assets. Loss on Pigeon Corporation stock (held 9 months) ……………………… ($14,000) Gain on painting (held for 2 years as an investment) ………………………… 5,000 Gain on unimproved land (held for

> During the year, Olivia recorded the following transactions involving capital assets. Gain on the sale of unimproved land (held as an investment for 4 years) ……………………. $ 4,000 Loss on the sale of a camper (purchased 2 years ago and used for family vaca

> Vic, who was experiencing financial difficulties, was able to adjust his debts as follows. Determine the Federal income tax consequences to Vic. a. Vic is an attorney. Vic owed his uncle $25,000. The uncle told Vic that if he serves as the executor of t

> Laura recently was diagnosed with cancer and has begun chemotherapy treatments. A cancer specialist has given Laura less than one year to live. She has incurred sizable medical bills and other general living expenses and is in need of cash. Ther

> Ray and Carin are partners in an accounting firm. The partners have entered into an arm’s length agreement requiring Ray to purchase Carin’s partnership interest from Carin’s estate if she dies before Ray. The price is set at 120% of the book value of Ca

> The Egret Company has a 40% combined Federal and state marginal tax rate. Egret’s board estimates that, if its current president should die, the company would incur $200,000 in costs to find a suitable replacement. In addition, profits on various project

> Many years ago, Jack purchased 400 shares of Canary stock. During the cur- rent year, the stock became worthless. It was determined that the company “went under” because several corporate officers embezzled a large amount of company funds. Identify the r

> Champ received a $10,000 distribution from NeatCo, a U.S. C corporation. NeatCo’s earnings and profits for the year totaled $6,000. How much dividend income does Champ recognize? What Federal income tax rate applies to the dividend if Champ’s ordinary in

> Leilei operates a sole proprietorship, using the accrual basis of tax accounting. Last year, she claimed a $10,000 bad debt deduction for a receivable from Jackie. But this year, Jackie sent her a check for $7,000, which Leilei accepted in full satisfact

> Lisbeth makes the following interest-free loans during the year. The relevant Federal interest rate is 5 percent, and none of the loans are motivated by tax avoidance. All of the loans were outstanding for the last six months of the tax year. Identify th

> Al is a medical doctor who conducts his practice as a sole proprietor. During 2015, he received cash of $280,000 for medical services. Of the amount collected, $40,000 was for services provided in 2014. At the end of 2015, Al held accounts receivable of

> Determine the taxpayer’s gross income for tax purposes in each of the following situations. a. Deb, a cash basis taxpayer, traded a corporate bond with accrued interest of $300 for corporate stock with a fair market value of $12,000 at the time of the

> Julie is considering three alternative investments of $10,000. Julie is in the 28% marginal tax bracket for ordinary income and 15% for qualifying capital gains in all tax years. The selected investment will be liquidated at the end of five years. The al

> The Bluejay Apartments, a new development, is in the process of structuring its lease agreements. The company would like to set the damage deposits high enough that tenants will keep the apartments in good condition. The company actually is more concerne

> Determine Amos’s gross income in each of the following cases. a. In the current year, Amos purchased an automobile for $25,000. As part of the transaction, Amos received a $1,500 rebate from the manufacturer. b. Amos sold his business. In addition to t

> Tonya, a Virginia resident, inherited a $100,000 State of Virginia bond this year. Her marginal Federal income tax rate is 35%, and her marginal state tax rate is 5%. The Virginia bond pays 3.3% interest, which is not subject to Virginia income tax. Alte

> Dolly is a college student who works as a part-time server in a restaurant. Her usual tip is 20% of the price of the meal. A customer ordered a piece of pie and said that he would appreciate prompt service. Dolly fulfilled the customer’s request. The cus

> The roof of your corporation’s office building recently suffered some damage as the result of a storm. You, the president of the corporation, are negotiating with a carpenter who has quoted two prices for the repair work: $600 if you pay in cash (“foldin

> Determine the taxpayer’s current-year (1) economic income and (2) gross income for tax purposes from the following events. a. Sam’s employment contract as chief executive of a large corporation was terminated, and he was paid $500,000 not to work fo

> Howard buys wrecked cars and stores them on his property. Recently, he purchased a 1990 Ford Taurus for $400. If he can sell all of the usable parts, his total proceeds from the Taurus will be over $2,500. As of the end of the year, he has sold only the

> Glenda, a calendar year and cash basis taxpayer, rents property from Janice. As part of the rental agreement, Glenda pays $8,400 rent on April 1, 2015 for the 12 months ending March 31, 2016. a. How much is Glenda’s deduction for rent expense in 2015? b

> Cardinal Corporation is a trucking firm that operates in the Mid-Atlantic states. One of Cardinal’s major customers frequently ships goods between Charlotte and Baltimore. Occasionally, the customer sends last-minute shipments that are out- bound for Eur

> Linda operates an illegal gambling operation and incurs the following expenses. Which of these expenses can reduce her taxable income? a. Bribes paid to city employees. b. Salaries to employees. c. Security cameras. d. Kickbacks to police. e. Rent on an

> Ted, an agent for Waxwing Corporation, which is an airline manufacturer, is negotiating a sale with a representative of the U.S. government and with a representative of a developing country. Waxwing has sufficient capacity to handle only one of the order

> Duck, an accrual basis corporation, sponsored a rock concert on December 29, 2015. Gross receipts were $300,000. The following expenses were incurred and paid as indicated: Because the coliseum was not scheduled to be used again until January 15, the c

> Monty loaned his friend Ned $20,000 three years ago. Ned signed a note and made payments on the loan. Last year, when the remaining balance was $11,000, Ned filed for bankruptcy and notified Monty that he would be unable to pay the balance on the loan.

> Tammy, a resident of Virginia, is considering whether to purchase a North Carolina bond that yields 4.6% before tax. She is in the 35% Federal marginal tax bracket and the 5% state marginal tax bracket. Tammy is aware that State of Virginia bonds

> Several years ago, Loon Finance Company, which is in the lending business, loaned Sara $30,000 to purchase an automobile to be used for personal purposes. In August of the current year, Sara filed for bankruptcy, and Loon was notified that it could not e

> During the past tax year, Jane identified $50,000 as a nonbusiness bad debt. In that tax year, Jane had $100,000 of taxable income, of which $5,000 consisted of short-term capital gains. During the current tax year, Jane collected $10,000 of the amount s

> Pam owns a personal-use boat that has a fair market value of $35,000 and an adjusted basis of $45,000. Pam’s AGI is $100,000. Calculate the realized and recognized gain or loss if: a. Pam sells the boat for $35,000. b. Pam exchanges the boat for anothe

> If a taxpayer sells property for cash, the amount realized consists of the net proceeds from the sale. For each of the following, indicate the effect on the amount realized: a. The property is sold on credit. b. A mortgage on the property is assumed by

> Roby and James have been married for nine years. Roby sells Plum, Inc. stock that she has owned for four years to James for its fair market value of $180,000. Her adjusted basis is $200,000. a. Calculate Roby’s recognized gain or recognized loss. b. Cal

> Wesley, who is single, listed his personal residence with a real estate agent on March 3, 2015, at a price of $390,000. He rejected several offers in the $350,000 range during the summer. Finally, on August 16, 2015, he and the purchaser signed a contrac

> Edith’s warehouse (adjusted basis of $450,000) is destroyed by a hurricane in October 2015. Edith, a calendar year taxpayer, receives insurance proceeds of $525,000 in January 2016. Calculate Edith’s realized gain or loss, recognized gain or loss, and ba

> For each of the following involuntary conversions, indicate whether the property acquired qualifies as replacement property, the recognized gain, and the basis for the property acquired. a. A warehouse is destroyed by a tornado. The space in the warehou

> Howard’s roadside vegetable stand (adjusted basis of $275,000) is destroyed by a tractor-trailer accident. He receives insurance proceeds of $240,000 ($300,000 fair market value – $60,000 coinsurance). Howard immediately uses the proceeds plus additional

> Randall owns an office building (adjusted basis of $250,000) that he has been renting to a group of physicians. During negotiations over a new seven-year lease, the physicians offer to purchase the building for $900,000. Randall accepts the offer with t

> Determine Hazel’s Federal gross income from the following receipts for the year. Gain on sale of Augusta County bonds ……………………. $800 Interest on U.S. government savings bonds ………………. 400 Interest on state income tax refund …………………………. 200 Interest on Au

> Turquoise Realty Company owns an apartment house that has an adjusted ba- sis of $760,000 but is subject to a mortgage of $192,000. Turquoise transfers the apartment house to Dove, Inc., and receives from Dove $120,000 in cash and an office building with

> Determine the realized, recognized, and postponed gain or loss and the new basis for each of the following like-kind exchanges: Adjusted Basis of Old Asset Boot Fair Market Value of Boot Given New Asset Received $ 7,000 $ -0- $12,000 $4,000 a. b. 14,

> Tom and Frank are brothers. Each owns investment property in the other’s hometown. To make their lives easier, they decide to legally exchange the investment properties. Under the terms of the exchange, Frank will transfer realty (adjusted basis of $52,0

> Cardinal Properties, Inc., exchanges real estate used in its business along with stock for real estate to be held for investment. The stock transferred has an adjusted basis of $45,000 and a fair market value of $50,000. The real estate transferred has a

> Rose Company owns Machine A (adjusted basis of $12,000 and fair market value of $15,000), which it uses in its business. Rose sells Machine A for $15,000 to Aubry (a dealer) and then purchases Machine B for $15,000 from Joan (also a dealer). Machine B wo

> What is the basis of the new property in each of the following exchanges? a. Apartment building held for investment (adjusted basis of $145,000) for office building to be held for investment (fair market value of $225,000). b. Land and building used as

> Tulip, Inc., would like to dispose of some land it acquired four years ago because the land will not continue to appreciate. Its value has increased by $50,000 over the four-year period. The company also intends to sell stock that has declined in value b