k k
PrincipleskofkTaxationkforkBusinesskandkInvestmentkPlanningk2020k23rdkEditionk
bykSallykJones,kShelleykRhoadeskCatanach
Chapterk1kTaxeskandkTaxingkJurisdictions
QuestionskandkProblemskforkDiscussion
1. Taxkpaymentskdifferkfromkgovernmentkfineskandkpenaltieskbecausektheykaren‘tkintendedktokdeterk
orkpunishkunacceptablekbehavior.kTaxkpaymentskdifferkfromkfeeskorkuserkchargeskbecausektheyk
don‘tkentitlekthekpayerktokakspecifickgovernmentkgoodkorkservice,ksuchkaskakpostagekstampkorkakd
river‘sklicense.kTaxkpaymentskalsokdifferkfromkfeeskorkuserkchargeskbecausektheykarekcompulsor
y.
2. Thiskpaymentkhaskcharacteristicskofkaktax,kakpenalty,kandkakuserkfee.kThekcompulsorykpaymentkisk
notkspecificallykpunitivekbutkdoeskapplykselectivelyktokthosekcompanieskmostklikelykresponsiblekfork
thekpollutedkconditionkofkGreenkRiver.kHowever,ktheseksamekcompanieskmaykbekthekentitieskthatkb
enefitkmostkfromkthekenvironmentalkclean-up.
3. Thiskpaymentkmorekcloselykresembleskakfeekforkakgovernmentkservicekthankaktransaction-
basedktaxkbecausekthektransactionkoccurskbetweenkakprivatekpartykandkthekjurisdictionkitself,krathe
rkthankbetweenkprivatekpartieskengagingkinkakmarketktransaction.kThekpaymentkalsokentitleskthekpa
yerktokakspecifickbenefitk(thekrightktokmarrykunderklaw).
4. TokthekextentkthatkthekdeclinekinkexteriorkmaintenancekreduceskthekvaluekofkMr.kPowell‘skapartmen
tkcomplex,khekbearskthekincidencekofkthekincreasedkpropertyktax.kTokthekextentkthatkthekdeclinekred
uceskthekvaluekofkadjoiningkpropertieskorkmakeskthekneighborhoodklesskattractive,kthekownerskofkth
ekadjoiningkpropertieskandkthekneighborhoodkresidentsksharekthekincidencekofkthektaxkincrease.
5. Peoplekwhokdon‘tkdirectlykusekpublickschoolsk(suchkaskMr.kandkMrs.kAhernkorkpeoplekwhokdon‘tkha
vekchildren)kindirectlykbenefitkfromkakpublickeducationksystemkforkthekgeneralkpopulation.kArguably
,kpublickeducationkcontributesktokakskilledkworkforcekandkimproveskthekculturalkandksocialkenvironm
entkinkwhichkMr.kandkMrs.kAhernklive.kBasedkonkthiskargument,kMr.kandkMrs.kAhernkshouldknotkbeke
xemptkfromktheklocalkpropertyktax.
6. Thekconsumerskwhokpayktheksamekpricekforkaksmallerkbarkofksoapkofklesserkqualitykbearktheki
ncidencekofktheknewkgrosskreceiptsktax.
7. Realkpropertykcan‘tkbekhiddenkorkmoved,kandkitskownershipk(legalktitle)kiskakmatterkofkpublick
record.kInkcontrast,kpersonalkpropertykiskmobilekandkmaykbekeasilykconcealed.kMoreover,kju
risdictionskmayknotkhavekankeffectivekmeansktokdiscoverkorktracekownershipkofkpersonalkpro
perty.
8. Arguably,kprivatekgolfkcourseskbeautifyktheklocalitykandkarekenvironmentallykmorekdesirablekthank
otherkcommercialkactivities.kTheykalsokmaykrequirekmorekacreagekthankotherkbusinesseskand,kth
erefore,kwouldkbekatkakcompetitivekdisadvantagekwithoutkakpreferentialkrealkpropertyktaxkrate.
9. Manykjurisdictionskthatklevykpropertyktaxeskprovidekankexemptionkforkpublickinstitutions,ksuchkask
statekuniversitieskorkprivatekcolleges.kIfkUniversitykKkiskentitledktoksuchkankexemption,keverykcom
mercialkbuildingkorkresidencekacquiredkbykthekUniversitykreducesktheklocalkjurisdiction‘skpropert
yktaxkbase.
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,10. Excisektaxeskarekimposedkonkakmuchknarrowerkrangekofkconsumerkgoodskandkserviceskthank
salesktaxes.kConsequently,kpeoplekcankmorekreadilykavoidkpurchasingkthekspecifickgoodkorks
erviceksubjectktokexcisektax.
11. Thektaxkincreasekmaykhavekreducedkthekaggregatekdemandkforkconsumerkgoodskand,kconsequen
tly,kmunicipalkresidentskarekbuyingkfewerkgoods.kAksecondkpossibilitykiskthatkmunicipalkresidentska
rektravelingktokotherkjurisdictionskwithklowerktaxkrateskorkmakingkmorekpurchaseskthroughkmailkord
erkcatalogskorkon-line.
12. Fromkakpoliticalkperspective,kliquorkandkcigarettesksaleskmakekankexcellentktaxkbasekbecausekcon
sumptionkofkthektwokproductskiskpurelykdiscretionary,kandkanykdeclinekinkconsumptionk becausekofk
thektaxkisksociallykdesirable.kFromkankeconomickperspective,ktheseksaleskarekakgoodktaxk basekbec
ausekthekdemandkforkliquork andkcigaretteskiskrelativelyk pricekinelastic.kInkotherk words,kpeoplekwho
kdrinkkandksmokekonkakregularkbasiskbuykthesekproductskregardlesskofkakheavykexcisektax.
13. Thekfederalkincomekhaskthekbroaderkbase.kThekfederalkpayrollktaxkiskimposedkonkwages,ksalaries,k
andkotherkformskofkcompensationkearnedkbykemployees.kThekfederalkincomektaxkiskimposedkonk al
lktypeskofkcompensationkaskwellkasknetkbusinesskprofit,kinvestmentkincome,kandkanykotherkincomek
itemkfromkwhateverksourcekderived.
14. Akpropertyktaxkiskakperiodick(usuallykannual)ktaxkleviedkonkthekownershipkofkpropertykandkbasedko
nkthekvaluekofkthekpropertykonkakparticularkassessmentkdate.kAktransferktaxkiskaktransaction-
kbasedktaxkleviedkonkthektransferkofkpropertykfromkonekpartyktokanother.kAktransferktaxkiskbasedkonk
thekvaluekofkthekpropertykatkdatekofktransfer.
15. Ifkthekfederalkgovernmentkcouldk―piggykback‖kaknationalksalesktaxkonkexistingkstateksalesktaxkcoll
ectionksystems,kthekfederalkgovernmentkcouldkavoidkcreatingkaknewkfederalkagencykforkcollectin
gkthektax.kInkcontrast,kthekfederalkgovernmentkwouldkhavektokcreatekaknewkcollectionksystemkfork
aknationalkVAT.kHowever,kaknationalkVATkwouldkbeklessklikelyktokcausekjurisdictionalkconflictkbet
weenkthekfederalkgovernmentkandkthekstateskbecausekstateskdon‘tkdependkonkVATskaskaksource
kofkrevenue.
16. ThekInternalkRevenuekCodekiskfederalkstatutoryklaw,kenactedkbykCongresskandksignedkbykthekPre
sident.kTechnically,kTreasurykregulationskonlykinterpretkandkexplainkthekstatutekandkaren‘tklawskink
theirkownkright.kThus,kregulationskareklesskauthoritativekthankthekCodekitself.kHowever,kbecausek
CongresskauthorizedkthekTreasuryktokwritekregulations,ktheykarekthekgovernment‘skofficialkinterpre
tationkofkstatutoryklaw.kPractically,kthekregulationskcarrykconsiderablekauthoritativekweight.
ApplicationkProblems
1. a.k Thekstatementkofkfactskidentifieskthreektaxpayers:kMr.kJoshkKenney,kJKkServices,kandkJKk
Realty.
b. ThekgovernmentkofktheklocalitykinkwhichkMr.kKenneykresides,kthekstatekgovernmentkofkVermo
nt,kandkthekU.S.kgovernmentkhavekjurisdictionktoktaxkMr.kKenney.kTheklocalkgovernmentskofkt
hekfourkcountieskinkwhichkJKkServiceskconductskbusiness,kthekstatekgovernmentkofkVermont,
kandkthekU.S.kgovernmentkhavekjurisdictionktoktaxkJKkServices.kThekcitykofkBoston,kthekstatek
governmentkofkMassachusetts,kandkthekU.S.kgovernmentkhavekjurisdictionktoktaxkJKkRealty.
2. a.k k ThekUnitedkStateskhaskjurisdictionktoktaxkMrs.kMaykbecausekshekiskakpermanentkresident.
b. ThekUnitedkStateskhaskjurisdictionktoktaxkMrs.kMaykonlykonkthekU.S.ksourcekrentalkincomek
generatedkbykthekManhattankrealkestate.
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, c. ThekUnitedkStateskdoesknotkhavekjurisdictionktoktaxkMrs.kMay.
d. ThekUnitedkStateskhaskjurisdictionktoktaxkMrs.kMaykbecausekshekiskakU.S.kcitizen.
3. a.k k ThekUnitedkStateskhaskjurisdictionktoktaxkMr.kTompkinkbecausekhekiskakU.Skcitizen.
b. ThekUnitedkStateskhaskjurisdictionktoktaxkMr.kTompkinkonlykonkthekU.S.ksourcekrentalkincomek
generatedkbykthekBuffalokrealkestate.
c. ThekUnitedkStateskhaskjurisdictionktoktaxkMr.kTompkinkbecausekhekiskakpermanentkresident.
d. ThekUnitedkStateskhaskjurisdictionktoktaxkMr.kTompkinkonkhisksharekofkthekU.S.ksourcek
businesskincomekgeneratedkbykSophickPartnership.
4. StatekA:
Volumekofksaleskbeforekratekincrease $800,000,000
Originalktaxkrate .05
Revenuekbeforekratekincrease $40,000,000
Volumekofksaleskafterkratekincrease $710,000,000
Newktaxk rate .06
Revenuekafterkratekincrease $42,600,000
Additionalkrevenuek($42,600,000k−k$40,000,000) $2,600,000
StatekZ:
Volumekofksaleskaddedktoktaxkbase $50,000,000
Taxkrate .05
Additionalkrevenue $2,500,000
5. a.k k Thekpropertyktaxkisk$8,300k($415,000kk2%).
b. Thekpropertyktaxkisk$19,000k([$500,000kk2%]k+k[$225,000kk4%]).
6. a.k k Thekpropertyktaxkisk$39,000k($1.3kmillionkk3%).
b. Thekpropertyktaxkisk$85,000k([$2kmillionkk3%]k+k[$2.5kmillionkk1%]).
7. IncreasekinkCountykG‘skaggregatekassessedkpropertyktaxkvalue
$23,000,000k
AssessedkvaluekofkLexon‘sknewkfacility (20,000,000)
NetkincreasekinkCountykG‘sktaxkbase
$3,000,000
Taxkrate
k k .04
NetkeffectkonkCountykG‘skcurrentkyearkrevenue $120,000
8. a.k ValuekofkpropertykpurchasedkinkStatekK
$600,000
UsektaxkratekinkStatekH
k k .06
Prekcreditkusektax $36,000
Salesktaxk paidktokStatekK (18,000)
UsektaxkowedktokStatekH $18,000
b. ValuekofkpropertykpurchasedkinkStatekL
$750,000
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, UsektaxkratekinkStatekH
k k .06
Prekcreditkusektax $45,000
Salesktaxk paidktokStatekL (48,750)
UsektaxkowedktokStatekH -0-
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