Taxation Legal Terms and Definitions

Excise tax A tax on the sale or use of specific products or transactions. Income taxes Taxes on income, both earned (salaries, wages, tips, commissions) and unearned (interest, dividends). Income taxes can be levied on both individuals (personal income taxes) and businesses (business and corporate income taxes). Self-Employment Tax The self-employment tax rate on net earnings remains the same for 2003. This rate, 15.3%, is a total of 12.4% for social security (old-age, survivors, and disability insur­ance) and 2.9% for Medicare (hospital insurance). Form W-4, Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate Completed by the employee and used by the employer to determine the amount of income tax to withhold. Federal income tax The federal government levies a tax on personal income. The federal income tax provides for national programs such as defense, foreign affairs, law enforcement, and interest on the national debt. Dependency exemption Amount that taxpayers can claim for their eligible dependents. Each exemption reduces the income subject to tax. The exemption amount is a set amount that changes from year to year. Estate and Gift Tax One of the oldest and most common forms of taxation is the taxation of property held by an individual at the time of their death. Such a tax can take the form, among others, of estate tax (a tax levied on the estate before any transfers). An estate tax is a charge upon the decedent's entire estate, regardless of how it is disbursed. Employee Works for an employer. Employers can control when, where, and how the employee performs the work. Installment Agreements To be eligible for an installment agreement, all returns that are due must first be filed. Installment agreements generally require equal monthly payments. The amount of an installment payment will be based on the amount owed and on the taxpayer’s ability to pay that amount within the time legally available for the IRS to collect. Earned Income Credit A tax credit for certain people who work, meet certain requirements, and have earned income under a specified limit.

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	Corporate Reorganizations; Transfers of Assets or Stock Following a Reorganization These proposed regulations address the effect of transfers of the assets or the stock of parties to a reorganization pursuant to transactions intended to qualify as reorganizations within the meaning of section 368(a) of the Internal Revenue Code. REG-130863-04. Published August 17, 2004.