Taxation Legal Terms and Definitions

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. Gross income Money, goods, services, and property a person receives that must be reported on a tax return. Includes unemployment compensation and certain scholarships. It does not include welfare benefits and nontaxable Social Security benefits. Partnership return If you need more time to file a partnership return, file Form 8736, Application for Automatic Extension of Time To File U.S. Return for a Partnership, REMIC, or for Certain Trusts, for an automatic 3-month extension. File Form 8736 by the regular due date of the partnership return. Compulsory payroll tax An automatic tax collected from employers and employees to finance specific programs. Family daycare providers A family daycare provider is a person engaged in the business of providing family daycare. Employee Works for an employer. Employers can control when, where, and how the employee performs the work. 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). Meal Expense Deduction Generally, you can deduct only 50% of your business-re-lated meal expenses while traveling away from your tax home for business purposes. Also, you can generally de­duct only 50% of certain reimbursements you make to your employees for meal expenses they incur while traveling away from home on business. Dependent A person, other than the taxpayer or spouse, who entitles the taxpayer to claim a dependency exemption. Depreciation and Section 179 Expense 50% special depreciation allowance. For qualified property you acquire after May 5, 2003, you can take a special depreciation allowance that is equal to 50% of the property's depreciable basis. However, instead of claiming the 50% special allowance, you can elect to claim the 30% special allowance or elect not to claim any special allowance.

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	Did You Know?
	There are tax rules if change in accounting method is made Generally, the partnership must get IRS consent to change its method of accounting used to report income (for income as a whole or for any material item). To do so, it must file Form 3115, Application for Change in Accounting Method. See Form 3115 and Pub. 538, Accounting Periods and Methods.