Frequently Asked Tax Questions (2004 IRS FAQ)

From TaxAlmanac

1 IRS Procedures

1-1 General Procedural Questions

1-2 Address Changes

1-3 Amended Returns & Form 1040X

1-4 Code, Revenue Procedures, Regulations, Letter Rulings

1-5 Collection Procedural Questions

1-6 Copies & Transcripts

1-7 Extensions

1-8 Forms & Publications

1-9 Injured & Innocent Spouse

1-10 Name Changes & Social Security Number Matching Issues

1-11 Notices & Letters

1-12 Refund Inquiries

1-13 Reporting Fraud

1-14 Signing the Return

1-15 W-2 - Additional, Incorrect, Lost, Non-receipt, Omitted

1-16 W-4 - Allowances, Excess FICA, Students, Withholding

2 Filing Requirements/Status/Dependents/Exemptions

2-1 Filing Requirements

2-2 Filing Status

2-3 Dependents & Exemptions

3 Itemized Deductions/Standard Deductions

3-1 Autos, Computers, Electronic Devices (Listed Property)

3-2 Education & Work-Related Expenses

3-3 Gifts & Charitable Contributions

3-4 Interest, Investment, Money Transactions (Alimony, Bad Debts, Applicable Federal Interest Rate, Gambling, Legal Fees, Loans, etc.)

3-5 Medical, Nursing Home, Special Care Expenses

3-6 Real Estate (Taxes, Mortgage Interest, Points, Other Property Expenses)

3-7 Other Deduction Questions

4 Interest/Dividends/Other Types of Income

4-1 1099-DIV Dividend Income

4-2 1099-INT Interest Income

4-3 1099-MISC, Independent Contractors, and Self-employed

4-4 1099 Information Returns (All Other)

4-5 Alimony, Child Support, Court Awards, Damages

4-6 Employee Reimbursements, Form W-2, Wage Inquiries

4-7 Gifts & Inheritances

4-8 Grants, Scholarships, Student Loans, Work Study

4-9 Life Insurance & Disability Insurance Proceeds

4-10 Ministers' Compensation & Housing Allowance

4-11 Savings Bonds

4-12 Tips

5 Pensions and Annuities

5-1 General Pensions and Annuities

5-2 Contributions

5-3 Distributions, Early Withdrawals, 10% Additional Tax

5-4 Loans & Other Retirement Account Transactions

5-5 Rollovers

6 Social Security Income

6-1 Back Payments

6-2 Canadian & Foreign Treaties

6-3 Regular & Disability Benefits

6-4 Survivors' Benefits

7 Child Care Credit/Other Credits

7-1 Child and Dependent Care Credit & Flexible Benefit Plans

7-2 Child Tax Credit

7-3 Credit for the Elderly or the Disabled

7-4 Hope & Life Time Learning Educational Credits

7-5 Other Credits

8 Earned Income Tax Credit

8-1 Qualifying Child Rules

8-2 Taxable & Nontaxable Income

8-3 Other EITC Issues

9 Estimated Tax

9-1 Businesses

9-2 Farmers & Fishermen

9-3 Individuals

9-4 Large Gains, Lump-sum Distributions, etc.

9-5 Penalty Questions

10 Capital Gains, Losses/Sale of Home

10-1 Property (Basis, Sale of Home, etc.)

10-2 Stocks (Options, Splits, Traders)

10-3 Mutual Funds (Costs, Distributions, etc.)

10-4 Losses (Homes, Stocks, Other Property)

11 Sale or Trade of Business, Depreciation, Rentals

11-1 Depreciation & Recapture

11-2 Rental Expenses v Passive Activity Losses (PALs)

11-3 Personal Use of Business Property (Condo, Timeshare, etc.)

11-4 Sales, Trades, Exchanges

12 Small Business/Self-Employed/Other Business

12-1 Entities- Sole Proprietor, Partnership, Limited Liability Company-Partnership (LLC-LLP), Corporation, Subchapter S Corporation

12-2 Form 1099-MISC & Independent Contractors

12-3 Form W-2, FICA, Medicare, Tips, Employee Benefits

12-4 Form W-4 & Wage Withholding

12-5 Form SS-4 & Employer Identification Number (EIN)

12-6 Forms 941, 940, Employment Taxes

12-7 Income & Expenses

12-8 Schedule C & Schedule SE

12-9 Starting or Ending a Business

13 Aliens and U.S. Citizens Living Abroad

13-1 Canadian & U.S. Tax Issues

13-2 Exchange Rate

13-3 Foreign Income & Foreign Income Exclusion

13-4 Nonresident Alien - General

13-5 Nonresident Alien - Tax Withholding

13-6 Nonresident Alien - Students

13-7 U.S. Citizens Overseas

13-8 Other

14 Electronic Filing (e-file) and TeleFile

14-1 Age-Name-SSN Rejects, Errors, Correction Procedures

14-2 Amended Returns

14-3 Due Dates & Extension Dates for e-file

14-4 Forms W-2 & Other Attachments

14-5 TeleFile

15 Magnetic Media Filers

16 Other (Alternative Minimum Tax, Estates, Trusts, Tax Shelters, State Tax Inquiries)

17 Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs)

17-1 Distributions, Early Withdrawals, 10% Additional Tax

17-2 Rollovers

17-3 Roth IRA

17-4 Traditional IRA

Source: IRS.gov