Question | Answer |
tax liability | the TOTAL amount of TAXES a person OWES |
excise tax | a tax collected by federal and state governments on specific GOODS and SERVICES |
estate tax | a tax collected on the value of a person's PROPERTY at the time of his or her DEATH |
inheritance tax | a tax collected on the property left by a person in his or her WILL |
gift tax | a tax collected on money or property valued at more than $10,000, GIVEN by one person to another in a single year. |
withhold | TO TAKE OUT Social Security and income tax payments from an employee's PAYCHECK and send the money to the IRS |
income tax return | A FORM on which a person reports how much money he or she received from working and other sources and the exact taxes, if any, that the person owes |
earned income | the MONEY a person receives for WORKING |
interest income | the INTEREST a person receives from banks, credit unions, and savings and loan associations. |
dividend income | distributions of money, stock, or other property that a corporation sometimes PAYS to STOCK-HOLDERS |
exclusion | an amount of income that is NOT INCLUDED in a person's gross income and is NOT subject to taxes; also called tax-exempt income. |
adjusted gross income | a person's INCOME AFTER CERTAIN REDUCTIONS have been made, such as contributions to an IRA or interest on a loan |
taxable income | a person's adjusted gross income LESS any allowable tax deductions and exemptions |
tax deduction | An expense that a person is allowed to SUBTRACT from his or her adjusted gross income to arrive at his or her taxable income |
standard deduction | an amount set by the IRS on which NO TAXES ARE PAID |
itemized deduction | a SPECIFIC expense, such as mortgage interest, that a person DEDUCTS from his or her adjusted gross income |
exemption | a deduction from a person's adjusted gross income for that person, his or her SPOUSE, and qualified DEPENDENTS. |
tax credit | an amount subtracted directly from the amount of taxes a person owes |
allowance | an ADJUSTMENT to the TAX WITHHELD from an employee's paycheck, based on his or her marital status and whether he or she is supporting other people with his or her money |
tax audit | a procedure where an IRS agent looks carefully at the tax returns you have filed |