CPE Accounting & Tax Institute
Course Study Guide
Final Exam
Course# 10070-6 Business Expenses 2007 IRS Updated

CPE & CE Credit: 12 Hours (tax)
Prerequisite:
None
Price:
$199.00
Course Level:
Basic
Recommended Study Time:
24 Hours

Answer Form | Home Page


Please submit answer form with multiple choice or true/false answers for the following questions.


What's New for 2006

 

Tax rates and maximum net earnings

1.  The maximum net self-employment earnings subject to the social security portion (12.4%) of the self-employment tax increased to $94,200 for 2006.

A.  True

B.  False

 

Elective deferrals

2. For 2006, the maximum amount of elective deferrals under a salary reduction agreement that could be contributed to a qualified plan if age under 50 increased to:


A.  $12,000
B.  $13,000

C.  $14,000

D. $15,000

 

SIMPLE plan salary reduction contributions

3.  For 2006, the limit on salary reduction contributions to a SIMPLE plan increased to $10,000 ($12,500 if you were age 50 or older).


A. True
B. False

 

What's New for 2007

Meal expense deduction subject to "hours of service" limits

4.  For 2007, this deduction is unchanged at 75% of the reimbursed meals your employees consumed while they were subject to the Department of Transportation's "hours of service" limits>

A.  True

B.  False

Compensation Limit

5.  The maximum compensation used for figuring contributions and benefits for a retirement plan will increase from $220,000 to $225,000 for 2007.

A.  True

B.  False

Deducting Business Expenses
What Can I Deduct?

6. To be deductible, a business expense must be both ordinary and necessary.


A. True
B. False


Costs of Goods Sold
7. The cost of storing the products you sell is not a type of cost that goes into figuring cost of goods sold.


A. True
B. False


8. Uniform capitalization rules do not apply to personal property you acquire for resale if your average annual gross receipts for the preceding 3 tax years are not more than $10 million.


A. True
B. False


Capital Expense
9. Costs which must be capitalized, rather than deducted currently include all of the following except:


A. Going into business
B. Business assets
C. Improvements
D. Expenses for advertising, utilities, repairs and wages after you actually begin business operations

 

Cost Recovery
10. Although you generally can not take a current deduction for a capital expense, you may be able to recover the amount you spend through depreciation, amortization, or depletion.


A. True
B. False


Improvements
11. All of the following costs must be capitalized except:


A. New electric wiring
B. New floor
C. New plumbing
D. Machine replacement parts that only keep it in normal operating condition


Capital versus Deductible Expenses
Motor vehicles
12. Repairs to business vehicles that recondition or overhaul are capital rather than deductible expenses.


A. True
B. False


Roads and driveways
13. The cost of maintaining a private road on your business property must be capitalized.


A. True
B. False


Tools
14. Tools purchased with a life expectancy of more than 1 year must be capitalized.


A. True
B. False


Business Use of Your Home
15. Your home office qualifies as your principal place of business if you meet the following requirements:

A. You use the office exclusively and regularly for administrative or management activities of your trade or business

B. You have no other fixed location where you conduct substantial administrative or management activities of your trade or business

C.  Both A and B

D.  Neither A or B


Business Use of Your Car
16. Barry is self-employed and uses his car for his business. If Barry claims the standard mileage rate, he can not also
deduct the business part of interest on his car loan.


A. True
B. False


Payments in Kind
17. Bill Bates paid a $5,000 expense in goods by transferring software costing $35,000 to a vendor. The value of the software was only $3,000 due to changes in technology. The amount Bill can deduct is:


A. $5,000
B. $35,000
C. $3,000


Not-for-Profit Activities
18. A loss from a not-for-profit business activity can not be used to offset other income for all of the following except:


A. corporations other than S corporations
B. individuals
C. partnerships
D. estates
E. S corporations


19. Business activity expenses are not deductible unless the business meets the presumption of profit rules.


A. True
B. False


20. Factors considered to determine whether an activity is carried on to make a profit include:


A. Business like manner of the activity
B. Time and effort indicating intent to make a profit
C. Dependence on the activity to make a living
D. Past success in making a profit in similar activities
E. All of the above


Presumption of Profit
21. A business other than one involving horses, is presumed carried on for a profit if it produced a profit


A. 1 year of the last 4
B. 2 years of the last 5
C. 2 years of the last 7
D. 3 years of the last 5


22. If your business passes the years-of-profit test, you can take all your deductions from the activity including for the years that you had a loss.


A. True
B. False


Employees Pay
Tests for Deducting Pay
23. To be deductible, your employee's pay must be:


A. Ordinary and necessary
B.  Paid or incurred in the tax year

C. Reasonable pay

D. For services performed

E. All of the above


Reasonable
24. The general cost of living in the locality is not a factor to consider to prove the pay is reasonable.


A. True
B. False


Test 2-For Services Performed

Employee-shareholder salaries
25. If a corporation pays an employee who is also a shareholder a salary that is unreasonably high considering the services actually performed, the excessive part of the salary may be treated as a constructive distribution to employee-shareholder.


A. True
B. False


Employee Achievement Awards
26. Your deduction for the cost of employee achievement awards given to any one employee during the tax year is limited only for awards that are not qualified plan awards.


A. True
B. False


Bonuses
Gifts of nominal value
27. Crown Co. distributes turkeys valued at $25 each to employees at Christmas. Crown Co. can only deduct the value of these turkeys as a business expense if they include the amount in employee income.


A. True
B. False


Education Expenses
28. If you pay employee education expenses that is not related to the employee's job, you can deduct them as wages.


A. True
B. False


Meals and Lodging
29. Jessica operates a restaurant that furnishes employees meals at the restaurant. Jessica's deduction is limited to 50% of the costs of furnishing these meals.


A. True
B. False

Employee  benefit programs

30.  Employee benefit programs that you can deduct generally include educational assistance programs.

A.  True

B.  False


Loans or Advances
31. You can deduct as wages, a loan you make to an employee that performs personal services if you do not expect the
employee to repay it.


A. True
B. False


Property
32. You can not deduct as wages, property transferred to an employee as payment for services.


A. True
B. False


33. A corporation that transfers its own stock to an employee for wages, must recognize a gain or loss on such transfer.


A. True
B. False


Restricted property
34. To be deductible, property transferred to an employee must be substantially vested in the employee after transfer.


A. True
B. False


Reimbursements for Business Expenses
35. Your deduction for meal and entertainment expenses is usually limited to 50% of the payment to reimburse employees.


A. True
B. False


36. If you make payment of employee business expenses under an accountable plan, you deduct it as wages on your tax return or business schedule.


A. True
B. False


Sick Pay
37. You can deduct amounts you pay to employees for sickness or injury including amounts compensated by insurance.


A. True
B. False


Vacation Pay
38. You can generally deduct vacation pay only in your tax year in which the employee receives it, whether you are a cash or accrual basis taxpayer.


A. True
B. False


Rent Expense

Rent

39.  Rent is considered unreasonable and therefore non-deductible if it is figured as a percentage of gross sales.

A.  True

B.  False

Related Persons

40.  For determining reasonableness of rent, related persons does not include an individual and a corporation if the individual owns, directly or indirectly, more than 50% in value of the outstanding stock of the corporation.

A.  True

B.  False

Rent on your home

41.  If you rent your home or use part of it as your place of business, you may not deduct the rent you pay for that part.

A.  True

B.  False

Rent paid in advance

42.  Generally, rent paid in your trade or business is deductible in the year paid or accrued and if paid in advance, you can only deduct the amount that applies to your use of the rented property during the tax year.

A.  True

B.  False

43.  You are a calendar year taxpayer and you leased a building for 5 years beginning July 1.  Your rent is $12,000 per year.  You paid the first year's rent ($12,000) on June 30th.  How much can you deduct for rent the first year?

A.  $12,000

B.  $6,000

C.  None as rent is a capital expense.

44.  You are a calendar year taxpayer.  Last January you leased property for 3 years for $6,000 per year.  You paid the full $18,000 (3 X $6,000) during the first year of the lease.  Each year you can deduct only $6,000, the part of the lease that applies to that year.

A.  True

B.  False

Canceling a lease

45.  You generally can not deduct as rent an amount you pay to cancel a business lease.

A.  True

B.  False

Lease or Purchase
46. Marx Incorporated entered into an agreement to occupy a building with an option to buy the property at the end of 6 years. The option price is nominal compared to the value of the property when the option can be exercised. The agreement designates part of payments as interest. In general, these terms indicate intent of the parties for this agreement to be considered _______________ and payments are ____________________.

A. a lease; not deductible
B. a lease; deductible
C. a conditional sales contract; deductible
D. a conditional sales contract; not deductible

Conditional sales contract

47.  Whether an agreement is a conditional sales contract depends on the intent of the parties.

A.  True

B.  False

48.  An agreement will not be considered a conditional sales contract rather than a lease if the agreement applies any part of each payment toward an equity interest you will receive.

A.  True

B.  False

Leveraged leases

49.  Leveraged lease transactions may not be considered leases if the lessor maintains an unconditional "at risk" equity investment in the property of less than 20% of the cost of the property during the entire lease term.

A.  True

B.  False

Leveraged leases of limited-use property

50.  The IRS will not issue advance rulings on leveraged leases of so-called limited use property.

A.  True

B.  False

 

Taxes on Leased Property
51. If you lease business property, you can not deduct as additional rent any taxes that you have to pay directly or that the lessor pays.


A. True
B. False

Cash Method

52.  If you use the cash method of accounting, you can deduct the taxes as additional rent only for the tax year in which you pay them.

A.  True

B.  False

Cost of Getting a Lease

Option to renew
53. Jeffries Corp paid $20,000 to get a lease with 10 years remaining and two options to renew for 5 years each. Of this cost, $10,000 was paid for the original lease and $10,000 was paid for the renewal options. Jeffries Corp must amortize the $20,000 over 20 years.


A. True
B. False


Cost of a modification agreement
54. Hanson Industries negotiated to reduce space with its landlord. The lease has 20 years remaining. Hanson agreed to a $2,000 fee payable over 5 years, to get out of renting a portion of its existing space. The $2,000 cost of this modification:


A. is deductible when paid
B. must be amortized over 5 years
C. must be amortized over the remaining 20 years of the original lease

Commissions, bonuses, and fees

55.  Commissions, bonuses, fees and other amounts you pay to get a lease on property you use in your business are capital assets that you must amortize over the term of the lease.

A.  True

B.  False


Improvements by Lessee
56. If you add buildings or make other permanent improvements to leased property, you can amortize the cost over the remaining term of the lease.


A. True
B. False

Assignment of a lease

57.  If a long-term leasee who makes permanent improvements to land later assigns all lease rights to you for money and you pay the rent required by the lease, the amount you pay for the assignment is a capital investment.

A.  True

B.  False


Capitalizing Rent Expenses
58. Artel Corp rents space in a facility to conduct its business of manufacturing the picture frames for sale to its customers. Artel is subject to Uniform Capitalization Rules and must include rent paid to occupy the facility in the cost of picture frames produced.


A. True
B. False


Interest
Allocation of Interest
Secured Loan

59. Mary obtained a loan in the amount of $10,000 against her personal automobile. Mary used the money to purchase property used in her business. Mary must allocate interest expense on the loan to personal use rather than busines because the loan is secured by personal property.


A. True
B. False

Interest on segregated account

60.  If you have an account that contains only loan proceeds and interest earned on the account, you can treat any payment from that account as being made first from the interest.

A.  True

B.  False


Loan Repayments
61. Jody obtained a $20,000 loan and used one half for her business and the other half for personal use. This year, Jody repaid $5,000 of the loan. The loan repayment should be allocated:


A. The same as use of the proceeds (50% to personal and 50% to business)
B. $5,000 to personal
C. $5,000 to business


Line of Credit (Continuous Borrowings)
62. Jackie has a line of credit that allows her to borrow funds periodically under a single loan agreement. Each borrowing accrues interest at different variable rates of interest. IRS rules require each borrowing to be treated as different loans.


A. True
B. False


Interest You Can Deduct
63. If the property that secures a loan is not related to your trade or business, you can not deduct the interest even though you use the proceeds of the loan for a trade or business expense.


A. True
B. False

Expenses paid to obtain a mortgage

64.  Mortgage commissions, abstract fees, and recording fees you pay to obtain a mortgage and can be deducted as interest rather than capital expenses.

A.  True

B.  False

Original Issue Discount
65. A loan has original issue discount when its proceeds are less than its principal amount.


A. True
B. False


Interest you cannot deduct
Interest on loans with respect to life insurance policies

66. You can deduct the interest on up to $50,000 of debt for a policy that covers a key person.


A. True
B. False


Capitalization of Interest
67. Prismo Co. builds trailers with a production period of 30 days. The trailers have a class life of less than 20 years. Under the Uniform Capitalization Rules, Prismo Co. is not required to capitalize interest on debt used to finance this production.


A. True
B. False


When to deduct interest
Prepaid Interest
68. Spree Corp is a cash method taxpayer. Spree Corp prepays interest on a loan. The interest was not due until the following year. Spree Corp may not deduct this payment until the following year when it is due.


A. True
B. False


Related Persons
69. Mark is an accrual method taxpayer who owes interest on money borrowed for his business to his brother Bill. Bill is a cash method taxpayer. Interest on the loan was $12,000 during the year. The interest payment has been deferred until the loan term ends in two years. Mark can take a tax deduction for the current tax year of $12,000.


A. True
B. False


Below-Market Interest Rate Loans
Limit on forgone interest for gift loans of $100,000 or less
70. Mary received a gift-loan from her father to buy a house. The loan amount was $100,000 payable monthly for 30 years with no interest. Mary had $1,000 of net-investment income from the loan funds prior to purchasing a house. Avoidance of federal tax was not a purpose of the interest arrangement. Under the rules for below-market interest rate loans, the forgone interest that must be included in her father's income is:


A. $0
B. $1,000


Real Estate Taxes

Taxes for local benefits
71. Taxes for local benefits and improvements that increase the value of your property cannot be expensed and must be added to the basis of your property.


A. True
B. False


Election to ratably accrue
72. Blake is an accrual method taxpayer. He can choose to accrue real estate tax that is related to a definite period ratable over that period.


A. True
B. False


Other Taxes

Sales Tax
73. You can deduct state and local taxes imposed on buyers and that you must collect from the buyer and pay over to the state or local government.


A. True
B. False


Insurance
74. You generally can deduct the ordinary and necessary cost of insurance as a business expense if it is your trade, business, or profession.


A. True
B. False


Deductible Premiums
75. You can not generally deduct premiums you pay for employee group long term care insurance.


A. True
B. False


Self-Employed Health

Insurance Deduction
76. You may be able to deduct 100% of qualified long-term care insurance for you, your spouse, and your dependants if you are a self-employed individual with a net profit reported on Schedule C, C-EZ, or F.


A. True
B. False


Long-term care insurance
77. Carla is 41 years old at the end of the current tax year and self-employed. Her maximum business expense deduction for long-term care insurance premiums (notwithstanding the business net earnings or other coverage limitation) is the lessor of the amount she paid or:


A. $210
B. $530
C. $800
D. $2,120


Other coverage
78. You cannot take a deduction for self-employed health insurance for any month you were eligible to participate in any employer subsidized health plan at any time during that month.


A. True
B. False


Nondeductible Premiums
79. Business risk self-insurance reserve premiums are a deductible expense.


A. True
B. False


Insurance to secure a loan
80. Ron and Alan acquired a business. To get the loan needed for the acquisition, they were required by the bank to take out life insurance policies that would pay off the loan if either died. The interest on this loan is a deductible business expense.


A. True
B. False


When to deduct premiums
Cash or accrual method prepayments.

81. If you are a cash method taxpayer, you can deduct in one year the entire premium for an insurance policy that covers more than one year.


A. True
B. False


Costs You Can Deduct or Capitalize

Research and Experimental Costs
82. If you choose to deduct research and experimental costs as a current business expense, you must deduct all such costs consistently in later years.


A. True
B. False


Intangible Drilling Costs
83. Intangible drilling costs can be deducted currently by taking the deduction for the first year of eligible costs on your tax return without a formal statement indicating the election.


A. True
B. False


Exploration Costs
84. An S-corporation can deduct only 70% of its domestic exploration costs and must capitalize the remaining 30%.


A. True
B. False


Circulation Costs
85. A publisher can deduct as a business expense the cost of increasing circulation of a newspaper or other periodical by purchasing another publisher's subscriber list.


A. True
B. False


Barrier Removal Costs
86. You can deduct currently rather than capitalize up to $15,000 of eligible costs of removing barriers to the disabled and the elderly in a single tax year.


A. True
B. False


Amortization
87. You do not have to file Form 4562 to claim depreciation on property placed in service or to start claiming amortization this year.


A. True
B. False


Starting a Business
88. You can choose to amortize business startup costs over a period of 60 months or more.


A. True
B. False

Business Start-up Costs
89. Advertisements for the opening of the business is not amortizable as a qualifying start-up cost.


A. True
B. False


Costs of Organizing a Corporation
90. Costs of issuing and selling stock, such as commissions, professional fees and printing costs can be amortized under organizational costs.


A. True
B. False

How To Amortize

Cash method partnership
91. A parternship using the cash method of accounting cannot deduct an organizational cost incurred until the year of payment.


A. True
B. False


Section 197 Intangibles
92. Goodwill is a Section 197 intangible asset that cannot be amortized when you create rather than purchase it.


A. True
B. False


Government granted license, permit, etc.
93. Environment Inc. obtained government granted licenses and permits to clean up contaminated property. These licenses and permits expire in 3 years. The costs incurred to acquire these licenses and permits are Section 197 intangibles.


A. True
B. False


Anti-Churning Rules
94. Anti-churning rules allow you to amortize most section 197 intangibles, even though the transaction in which you acquired them did not result in a significant change in ownership or use.


A. True
B. False


Disposition of Section 197 Intangibles
95. If you dispose of Section 197 intangible property held for more than one year, any gain up to the amount allowable amortization is:


A. ordinary income (Section 1245 gain)
B. capital gain (Section 1231 gain)


Research and Experimental Costs
96. Research and experimental costs are eligible for:


A. deduction as current business expenses
B. amortization in equal amounts over 60 months
C. deduction ratably over a 10 year period, beginning with the tax year in which you incurred the costs
D. all of the above


Depletion
Important Reminder

Introduction

97. The two methods for figuring depletion of natural resources are:


A. cost and MACRS depletion
B. MACRS and straight line average life depletion
C. cost and percent depletion
D. none of the above

Alternative minimum tax
98. Individuals, corporations, estates, and trusts who claim depletion deductions may be liable for alternative minimum tax.


A. True
B. False


Oil and Gas Wells
99.  Refiners of more than 75,000 barrels on any day during the tax year can claim percentage depletion.


A. True
B. False


Mines and other natural deposits
100. Clay used or sold for use in making drainage and roofing tile qualifies for percentage depletion against gross income of:


A. 22%
B. 7.55
C. 5%
D. 0%


Delay Rentals
101. As a lessor of oil property, your income from deferring development of the property is subject to depletion.


A. True
B. False


Timber
102. The percent depletion method is the preferred method for timber depletion.


A. True
B. False


Business Bad Debts
103. Non-business bad debts are deductible as short-term capital losses on Schedule D (Form 1040).


A. True
B. False

Cash method
104. Cash method taxpayers that report income when they receive it can take a bad debt deduction on accounts they cannot collect.


A. True
B. False


105. Ron makes a capital contribution to a corporation for ownership. The capital contribution is recorded as a loan. The corporation went out of business and Ron did not receive anything for his investment. Ron can take a bad debt deduction.


A. True
B. False


When Debt is Worthless
Property received for debt

106. Jerry received property as partial payment of a debt. He deducted the remaining debt as bad debt. Jerry later sold the property for a gain. The gain is considered recovery of a bad debt and must be included in gross income.


A. True
B. False

Recovery of a Bad Debt

107.  If you claim a deduction for a bad debt on your income tax return and later recover (collect) all or part of it, you may have to include all or part of the recovery in gross income.

A.  True

B.  False

Net operating loss (NOL) carryover

108.  If a bad debt deduction increases NOL carryover that has not expired before the beginning of the tax year in which the recovery takes place, you treat the deduction as having  reduced your tax.

A.  True

B.  False

Other Expenses

What's New - Standard mileage rate

109.  The standard mileage rate for the cost of operating your car, van, or panel truck in 2006 isx 44.5 cents a mile for all business miles.

A.  True

B.  False

Other Expenses
Travel, Meals and Entertainment
Reimbursements
110. Reimbursement to employees under a non-accountable plan for travel, meals and entertainment expenses requires you to report the reimbursements as wages on Form W-2.


A. True
B. False

Accountable Plans

111.  An accountable plan requires your employees to adequately account to you for reimbursable expenses within a reasonable time to avoid having the reimbursement included as wages on Form W-2.

A.  True

B.  False


Reporting per diem and car allowances
112. If the per diem allowance your company provides employees is below the federal rate, the allowance is part of employees pay and is deducted as wages.


A. True
B. False


Meals and Entertainment

Related expenses
113. Reimbursement under an accountable plan for cost of transportation to a from a sporting event that is otherwise allowable is subject to the 50% limit.


A. True
B. False


Miscellaneous Expenses
Anticipated Liabilities

114. Meyer's Service Station sold one-year service contracts to auto owners. Historically, Meyers knows they will have expenses of 30% of contract revenue in the coming year for these contracts. Meyers is an accrual basis taxpayer. Meyers may deduct 30% of the service contract revenue by charging expenses to a reserve account.


A. True
B. False


Charitable Contributions
Club dues and membership fees

115. Generally amounts paid or incurred to membership in any club organized for business, pleasure, recreation, or any other social purpose are not deductible.


A. True
B. False


Education Expenses
116. You can only deduct your own education expenses if they are to maintain or improve skills required in your trade or business or required by law or regulation to keep your job.


A. True
B. False


Lobbying Expenses
117. You generally can deduct lobbying expenses.


A. True
B. False


Telephone
118. If you have an office in your home, you may deduct the cost of basic local telephone service.


A. True
B. False


Course Evaluation
119. Indicate your professional designation.


A. CPA
B. Public Accountant
C. Enrolled Agent
D. Other___________________


120. Indicate years professional experience in the course subject matter.


A. Less than 5
B. 5 to 10 years
C. 11 to 15 years
D. 16 to 20 years
E. 21 and over


121. Did the program meet your learning objectives?:


A. Yes
B. No


122. Did the program materials contribute to the achievement of your learning objectives?


A. Yes
B. No


123. Did you find the program content relevant and timely?


A. Yes
B. No


124. Was the difficulty of the questions:


A. about right
B. too easy
C. too difficult


125. Was the indicated prerequisites (if any) for the program appropriate?


A. Yes
B. No


126. Do you plan to use additional courses from CPE Accounting & Tax Institute.


A. Yes
B. No



Answer Form | Home Page

 


Copyright © 2006 - 2007 By
CPE Accounting and Tax Institute