Tax Law

Tax Disputes, Appeals, and Judicial Review Introduction: When a Tax Question Becomes a Legal Dispute Federal tax law contains thousands of substantive rules concerning income, deductions, credits, property, businesses, employment, estates, gifts, and other matters. But determining what the law says is only part of a tax controversy. A second Read more

Tax Penalties, Tax Fraud, and Tax Evasion Introduction: When a Tax Error Becomes a Legal Problem The federal tax system depends heavily upon voluntary compliance. Taxpayers are generally expected to determine their tax obligations, file required returns, maintain appropriate records, and pay the amounts required by law. Because the government Read more

Tax Returns, Assessments, Audits, and Administrative Enforcement Introduction American tax law does not end when a taxpayer calculates how much tax is owed. A complete understanding of taxation requires an understanding of what happens after the tax liability has been calculated. The federal tax system depends heavily upon self-reporting. Taxpayers Read more

Property, Estate, and Gift Taxation Introduction Federal taxation is not limited to income earned from employment, business activity, investments, or the sale of property. The federal tax system also regulates the transfer of wealth from one person to another. These rules become particularly important when property is given during a Read more

Capital Gains and Losses Capital gains and losses are a fundamental part of U.S. federal income taxation because taxpayers frequently acquire property for investment, personal use, business purposes, or other reasons and later sell, exchange, or otherwise dispose of that property. When property is sold for more than its tax Read more

Corporations, Partnerships, and Pass-Through Taxation The federal taxation of a business depends not only on how much money the business earns, but also on who is treated as the taxpayer. This is one of the most important distinctions in U.S. business taxation. Two businesses can earn exactly the same amount Read more

Business Income and Business Taxation Business taxation is one of the most important parts of U.S. federal tax law because the federal tax system does not impose a single uniform tax on every business. Instead, the tax consequences of operating a business depend on what the business earns, what expenses Read more

Employment and Payroll Taxes Introduction Employment and payroll taxes are among the most important parts of the U.S. federal tax system because they connect taxation directly to the employment relationship. Every time an employee receives a paycheck, several different federal tax rules may operate simultaneously. Some amounts are withheld from Read more

Individual Income Taxation Introduction Individual income taxation is one of the central subjects of U.S. federal tax law. It is also one of the areas of law that most directly affects ordinary life. Employment, self-employment, investments, retirement, property transactions, business activities, family circumstances, and many other financial events can create Read more