CHAPTER 5 GROSS INCOME: EXCLUSIONS

1. For a person who is
in the 35% marginal tax bracket, $1,000 of tax-exempt income is equivalent to
$1,350 of income that is subject to tax.
a. True
b. False

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2. John told his nephew,
Steve, “if you maintain my house when I cannot, I will leave the house to you
when I die.” Steve maintained the house and when John died Steve inherited
the house. The value of the residence can be excluded from Steve’s gross income
as an inheritance.
a. True
b. False

3. Brooke works
part-time as a waitress in a restaurant. For groups of 7 or more customers, the
customer is charged 15% of the bill for Brooke’s services. For parties of less
than 7, the tips are voluntary. Brooke received $11,000 from the groups of 7 or
more and $7,000 in voluntary tips from all other customers. Using the customary
15% rate, her voluntary tips would have been only $6,000. Brooke must include
$18,000 ($11,000 + $7,000) in gross income.
a. True
b. False

4. Mel was the
beneficiary of a $45,000 group term life insurance policy on his wife. His
wife’s employer paid all of the premiums on the policy. Mel used the life
insurance proceeds to purchase a United States Government bond, which paid him
$2,500 interest during the current year. Mel’s Federal gross income from the
above is $2,500.
a. True
b. False

5. Zack was the
beneficiary of a life insurance policy on his wife. Zack had paid $20,000 in
premiums on the policy. He collected $50,000 on the policy when his wife died
from a terminal illness. Because it took several months to process the claim,
the insurance company paid Zack $53,000, the face amount of the policy plus
$3,000 interest. Zack must include $23,000 in his gross income.
a. True
b. False

6. Ed died while
employed by Violet Company. His wife collected $40,000 on a group term life
insurance policy that Violet provided its employees, and $6,000 of accrued
salary Ed had earned prior to his death. All of the premiums on the group term
life insurance policy were excluded from the Ed’s gross income. Ed’s wife is
required to recognize as gross income only the $6,000 she received for the
accrued salary.
a. True
b. False

7. Gary cashed in an
insurance policy on his life. He needed the funds to pay for his terminally ill
wife’s medical expenses. He had paid $12,000 in premiums and he collected
$30,000 from the insurance company. Gary is not required to include the gain of
$18,000 ($30,000 – $12,000) in gross income.
a. True
b. False

8. When Betty was
diagnosed as having a terminal illness, she sold her life insurance policy to
Insurance Purchase, Inc., a company that is licensed to invest in these types
of contracts. Betty sold the policy for $32,000 and Insurance Purchase, Inc.,
became the beneficiary. She had paid total premiums of $19,000. Betty died 8
months after the sale. Insurance Purchase, Inc., collected $50,000 on the
policy. The company had paid additional premiums of $4,000 on the policy. Betty
is not required to recognize a $13,000 gain from the sale of her life insurance
policy and Insurance Purchase, Inc., is required to recognize a $14,000 gain
from the insurance policy.
a. True
b. False

9. Agnes receives a
$5,000 scholarship which covers her tuition at Parochial High School. She may
not exclude the $5,000 because the exclusion applies only to scholarships to
attend college.
a. True
b. False

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10.If a scholarship does
not satisfy the requirements for a gift, the scholarship must be included in
gross income.
a. True
b. False

11.Ashley received a
scholarship to be used as follows: tuition $6,000; room and board $9,000; and
books and laboratory supplies $2,000. Ashley is required to include only $9,000
in her gross income.
a. True
b. False

12.In December 2014,
Emily, a cash basis taxpayer, received a $2,500 cash scholarship for the Spring
semester of 2015. However, she did not use the funds to pay the tuition until
January 2015. Emily can exclude the $2,500 from her gross income in 2014.
a. True
b. False

13.Betty received a
graduate teaching assistantship that was awarded on the basis of academic
achievement. The payments must be included in her gross income.
a. True
b. False

14.In 2014, Theresa was
in an automobile accident and suffered physical injuries. The accident was
caused by Ramon’s negligence. In 2015, Theresa collected from his insurance
company. She received $15,000 for loss of income, $10,000 for pain and
suffering, $50,000 for punitive damages, and $6,000 for medical expenses which
she had deducted on her 2014 tax return (the amount in excess of 10% of
adjusted gross income). As a result of the above, Theresa’s 2015 gross income
is increased by $56,000.
a. True
b. False

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15.Workers’ compensation
benefits are included in gross income if the employer also pays the employee
while the employee is recovering from his or her injury.
a. True
b. False

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16.Sam was unemployed
for the first two months of 2014. During that time, he received $4,000 of state
unemployment benefits. He worked for the next six months and earned $14,000. In
September, he was injured on the job and collected $5,000 of workers’
compensation benefits. Sam’s Federal gross income from the above is $18,000
($4,000 + $14,000).
a. True
b. False

17.Sarah’s employer pays
the hospitalization insurance premiums for a policy that covers all employees
and retired former employees. After Sarah retires, the hospital insurance
premiums paid for her by her employer can be excluded from her gross income.
a. True
b. False

18.Meg’s employer
carries insurance on its employees that will pay an employee his or her regular
salary while the employee is away from work due to illness. The premiums for
Meg’s coverage were $1,800. Meg was absent from work for two months as a result
of a kidney infection. Meg’s employer’s insurance company paid Meg’s regular
salary of $8,000 while she was away from work. Meg also collected $2,000 on a
wage continuation policy she had purchased. Meg must include $11,800 in her
gross income.
a. True
b. False

19.Melody works for a
company with only 22 employees. Her employer contributed $2,000 to her health
savings account (HSA), and the account earned $100 in interest during the year.
Melody withdrew only $1,200 to pay medical expenses during the year. Melody is notrequired to recognize any gross
income from the HSA for the year.
a. True
b. False

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20.If an employer pays
for the employee’s long­term care insurance premiums, the employee can exclude
from gross income the premiums but all of the benefits collected must be
included in gross income.
a. True
b. False

21.Employees of a CPA
firm located in Maryland may exclude from gross income the meals and lodging
provided by the employer while they were on an audit in Delaware.
a. True
b. False

22.Carla is a deputy
sheriff. Her employer requires that she live in the county where she is
employed. Housing is very expensive; so the county agreed to pay her $4,800 per
year to cover the higher cost of housing. Carla must include the housing
supplement in her gross income.
a. True
b. False

23.Roger is in the 35%
marginal tax bracket. Roger’s employer has created a flexible spending account
for medical and dental expenses that are not covered by the company’s health
insurance plan. Roger had his salary reduced by $1,200 during the year for
contributions to the flexible spending plan. However, Roger incurred only
$1,100 in actual expenses for which he was reimbursed. Under the plan, he must
forfeit the $100 unused amount. His after-tax cost of overfunding the plan is
$65.
a. True
b. False

24.Mauve Company permits
employees to occasionally use the copying machine for personal purposes. The
copying machine is located in the office where the higher paid executives work,
so they occasionally use the machine. However, the machine is not convenient
for use by the lower paid warehouse employees and, thus, they never use the
copier. The use of the copy machine may not be excluded from gross income
because the benefit is discriminatory.
a. True
b. False

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25.Fresh Bakery often
has unsold donuts at the end of the day. The bakery allows employees to take
the leftovers home. The employees are not
required to recognize gross income because the bakery does not incur any
additional cost.
a. True
b. False

26.Nicole’s employer
pays her $150 per month towards the cost of parking near a railway station
where Nicole catches the train to work. The employer also pays the cost of the
rail pass, $75 per month. Nicole can exclude both of these payments from her
gross income.
a. True
b. False

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27.A U.S. citizen who
works in France from February 1, 2014 until January 31, 2015 is eligible for
the foreign earned income exclusion in 2014 and 2015.
a. True
b. False

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28.Generally, a U.S.
citizen is required to include in gross income the salary and wages earned
while working in a foreign country even if the foreign country taxes the
income.
a. True
b. False

29.Calvin miscalculated
his income in 2012 and overpaid his state income tax by $10,000. In 2014, he
amended his 2012 state income tax return and received a $10,000 refund and $900
interest. Calvin itemized his deductions in 2012, deducting $12,000 in state
income tax and $30,000 total itemized deductions. As a result of the amended
return in 2014, Calvin must recognize $10,900 of gross income.
a. True
b. False

30.A cash basis taxpayer
took an itemized deduction of $5,500 for state income tax paid in 2014. His total
itemized deductions in 2014 were $18,000. In 2015, he received a $900 refund of
his 2014 state income tax. The taxpayer must include the $900 refund in his
2015 Federal gross income in accordance with the tax benefit rule.
a. True
b. False

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