Taxation Tax Timing Golden Gate University, Bruce F. Braden School of Taxation Fall 2015 Online Course, Section C2 Course Syllabus

Transcription

1 Taxation Tax Timing Golden Gate University, Bruce F. Braden School of Taxation Fall 2015 Online Course, Section C2 Course Syllabus Syllabus Revised August 12, 2015 Course Description and Objectives The objective of this course is to provide the student with an introduction to the issues raised in Subchapter E of the Internal Revenue Code: Accounting Periods and Methods of Accounting. This is an entirely online course. The course is organized into step by step modules, including modules regarding the cash method of accounting, accrual method of accounting, change in methods of accounting, installment sale method of accounting, time value of money, accounting for inventories, and adoption of an accounting period. At the completion of the course, the student should have the knowledge and understanding necessary to advise clients confidently and competently on moderately complex tax timing issues. Instructor Wendell A. Dell Hutchinson Assistant Professor whutchinson@ggu.edu Office Hours The instructor is available by appointment for meetings on campus and/or via telephone. the instructor at whutchinson@ggu.edu to make an appointment. Required Course Materials Students may purchase course materials through the Golden Gate University bookstore, The following materials are required for the course: 1. Joseph Walsh, Golden Gate University TA 338 Printed Materials (May 2015) - note that this is a new edition of this book 2. Internal Revenue Code (current) 3. Income Tax Regulations (current) Suggested Course Materials 1. Stephen F Gertzman, Federal Tax Accounting, 2015 Student Edition (ISBN ) Course Grade Each student s grade will be based upon total points earned weighted as follows: Class Participation 10% Quizzes 10% Midterm Examination 20% Final Examination 60% Specific requirements for each of these sections are provided below.

2 Quizzes The quizzes are designed to test your understanding of the materials and to assist you in identifying issues that you may have missed in your study. Beware, however, that the quizzes do not attempt to exhaustively raise all issues covered in the course. There are a total of ten quizzes. Students are allowed one hour to complete each quiz. A quiz will open on Thursday for weeks when quizzes appear. You must complete the quiz by 8AM (California time) on the subsequent Monday. Once a quiz closes, it will not be reopened. Each quiz is worth ten points. A student s quiz grade for the semester will be determined as follows: Each student s worst quiz score will be disregarded The scores of the remaining nine quizzes will be averaged The quiz grade will be the average of the nine quizzes. Thus, if a student misses a quiz due to work exigencies or personal issues, this throw out mechanism mitigates the penalty. Note that there is an example of the calculation of the quiz grade on the web site. Participation Grade Class participation grades will be based upon the instructor s assessment of the student s demonstration of knowledge and skill through participation in weekly web-based discussions. Homework problems from the course materials comprise a significant part of each week's discussion. The homework problems are discussed weekly in a discussion forum. Formal submission of the homework problems is not required. Participation credit may be earned via informed questions, constructive comments and thoughtful analysis of problems. The instructor will grade student class participation on both quality and quantity of student submissions in the weekly online discussion forums. There are five grading periods of differing lengths during the semester. Students are not penalized for incorrect posting to the web based discussions provided that the post reflects thought and reading of the material. It is expected that each student will make an average of two posts per week. The following are the grading periods and indication of the number of posts expected for full credit for each period. Weeks 1-3: 6 expected posts, 2.5% of course grade Weeks 4-6: 6 expected posts, 2.5% of course grade Weeks 8-9: 4 expected posts, 1.5% of course grade Weeks 10-11: 4 expected posts, 1.5% of course grade Weeks 12-14: 6 expected posts, 2.0% of course grade Students are to perform their own work at all times including during class discussion forums. Submission of "cut and paste" material from a secondary source without appropriate attribution/citation is not acceptable and will not receive credit. Posting unattributed cut and paste third party material may also be a violation of the GGU Academic Integrity Policy referenced below and thus may expose the student to discipline under the GGU Academic Integrity Policy. Page 2

3 Examinations Students will take two examinations during the course of the semester: a midterm examination and a final examination. The final examination is a supervised (proctored), open book examination. Online research is not allowed during the final examination. The final examination will be taken using the ProctorU service. Alternatively, students may take the examination at a testing center (including on campus at Golden Gate University in San Francisco). Information regarding examination procedures will be available on the course web site. Grading Scale Course grades will be determined on the following scale: A-, A 90 points and above B, B+ 75 to 89.9 points B points C-, C, C+ 60 to 69.9 points D-, D or D 50 to 59.9 points F Below 50 points Prerequisite Courses The prerequisites for this course are TA318, Advanced Federal Income Taxation and TA329, Tax Research, or permission of the instructor. Syllabus Changes The Instructor has no plan to change the syllabus. However, law changes, guest speakers and or business/personal exigencies may cause a change to the syllabus. Any syllabus change will be announced via e mail and on the course web site. Disability Accommodations Golden Gate University seeks to ensure that all programs and services are fully accessible to students with disabilities who identify and express their needs. Information regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act and GGU s policies and services can be found on GGU4U under student services/disability services. Students expecting disability accommodations should inform the instructor as soon as possible, but not later than the end of the second week of classes. Page 3

4 Academic Integrity GGU s policy on Student Academic Integrity applies to all business, taxation and technology students at Golden Gate University. Academic integrity means doing academic work in a manner that strives to achieve the learning objectives set out in the course. It means that you follow the rules and procedures prescribed by your instructors so that you acquire the skills and knowledge your courses are designed to give you. It means that you engage in ethical practices in taking tests and doing assignments and that you respect intellectual property rights by fully disclosing sources of information that appear in your papers and presentations. Academic dishonesty is failure to maintain academic integrity. It includes but is not limited to cheating and to plagiarism. Please read the Golden Gate University policy on Student Academic Integrity at: In other words, students must do their own work at all times. ANY QUESTION REGARDING WHAT CONSTITUTES ACADEMIC INTEGRITY, CHEATING OR PLAGIARISM SHOULD BE ASKED IMMEDIATELY AND RESOLVED BEFORE THERE IS A POSSIBLE SITUATION WHERE A STUDENT S ACTIONS OR INACTIONS COULD BE CALLED INTO QUESTION. Instructor Educational and Professional Background Wendell A. Dell Hutchinson, Assistant Professor, School of Taxation BA Humanities (English emphasis), University of California Juris Doctor, Golden Gate University LLM (Taxation), Golden Gate University joined Golden Gate University in 2008 after retiring from the partnership of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. During his 25 years at PwC, Dell specialized in a number of technical issues, including Financial Accounting for Income Taxes, Corporation and S Corporation Income Taxation, Partnership Taxation, and Taxation of US inbound and outbound International Business. He served clients in a wide variety of industries, including services, tech manufacturing, food processing, real estate, and distribution. He also led PwC tax recruiting at University of California as well as teaching numerous staff training courses. has taught courses for the California Society of CPAs and at Haas School of Business, University of California. He is a member of the California Bar (inactive) and is a CPA in California (active as of August, 2015). Page 4

5 Course Schedule The website for TA338 Tax Timing Section C2 opens on August 30, Week two begins September 6 and the following week open on following Sundays. The final examination is available December 13 - December 15. week Topic Section Material Covered 1 Method of Accounting 1 All material in tab 1 incl all problems 2 Cash Method of Accounting 2 All Tab 2 materials under headings "Income" and "Constructive Receipt"; Problems A, B1, B2, and B3 Remainder of tab 2 material including remaining Cash Method of Accounting 2 3 problems 4 Accrual Method of Accounting 3 All tab 3 cases under heading "income", "income exceptions", "expense", "expense exceptions" and US v Hughes Properties; Problems A, B C and H 5 6 Accrual Method of Accounting 3 Change in Method of Accounting Midterm Examination 4 Remaining tab 3 Code and Reg sections labeled expense; read all cases under heading "deferral of prepaid service income" and Willamette Industries v Comm'r ; do remaining problems tab 3 Read all material and do all problems Take Midterm Examination October 15 - October Installment Sales 5 Code and regs in Tab V 9 Installment Sales 5 All tab 5 material 10 Time Value of Money 6 All tab 6 material 11 Inventory 7 Read all material and do all problems 12 Accounting Periods 8 Read all material and do all problems 13 Annual Accounting Concept 9 Read all material and do all problems GAAP Revenue Recognition 14 Proposal 15 Review 16 Final Exam Reading materials to be provided Take Final Examination December 13 - December 15 wah C:\Users\Dell Hutchinson\Dropbox\GGU DB\GGU master\ta338\current Classes\Fall 2015\TA338 Syllabus Fall 2015 C2 REVISED POSTED.docx Page 5