ACT301: Introduction to Tax

This course introduces students to tax using a business entities approach.Topics include the broad range of tax concepts and types of taxpayers, the role of taxation in the business decisionmaking process, how to conduct basic tax research and tax planning, professional standards and ethics, and the interrelationship and differences between financial accounting and tax accounting. Upon completion of this course, students should be able to discuss the role of taxation and its impact in the decision-making process of business entities.

Tax Concepts

C Corporation Taxation
Basic statement on C Corporations and taxation from Expert Law

Essential Links to Taxes
List of sites on a variety of tax subjects

History of the U.S. Tax System
U.S. Treasury's background of tax history in the U.S. from Colonial times up to the Bush Tax Cut in 2001

U.S. Treasury Tax FAQ
List of frequently asked questions presented to the U.S. Treasury on a variety of general tax policies

Role of Taxation in Business Decisions

Corporation Search
Searchable tax identification numbers from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts

Tax Information for Businesses
Resources tailored to businesses from the IRS

Tax Planning

Planning Tools from e-file Online
This site provides a list of tax planning resources

Tax Articles
Articles on tax planning for both individuals and businesses from Michael Gray, CPA

Financial Accounting

FASB
Financial Accounting Standards Board

Tax and Accounting Sites Directory
Directory of financial accounting & reporting sites at taxsites.com

Textbook Companion Site

Taxation for Decision Makers
Key concepts, self-study quizzes, and other supplemental material

Types of Taxpayers

IRS Tax Simulations
Take a look at the tax process of 18 individual taxpayers

Who Pays Income Taxes
Information from tax year 2002 to see who pays what from the National Taxpayers Union

Tax Research

Federation of Tax Administrators
Links for all fifty states' individual department of revenue pages

Historical Income Tax Rates
History of federal top and bottom tax brackets from the National Taxpayers Union

U.S. Tax Code
Complete text of the United States Internal Revenue Code from Fourmilab Switzerland

Professional Standards and Ethics

AICPA Code of Professional Conduct
From the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants

Ethical Standards for Tax Professionals
From IRS.gov

IRS Standards of Practice for Tax Professionals
Rules of conduct for all tax professionals

Tax Accounting

Arkansas SBDC
Resources from the Small Business Development Center

Tax and Accounting Sites Directory
Directory of tax accounting sites from taxsites.com

U.S. Small Business Administration
Information on types of taxes that pertain to businesses

Additional Sites of Interest

AccountingWeb.UK
United Kingdom accounting resources

Accounting.com
Accounting resources page

Accounting and Auditing Resources
From SmartPros Accounting

Accounting Glossary
Accounting terms from VentureLine.com (click on the letters of the alphabet to access)

Accounting Software 411

Accounting software news and information website

American Accounting Association
Professional accounting organization

American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
National professional association for CPAs

Association for Accounting Administration
Job openings and salary surveys

Basic Guide to Financial Management in Small For-Profit Businesses
Understand basic practices in financial management by Carter McNamara

Bloomberg, L.P.
Leading global provider of data, news, and analytics

Bnet
Business white papers, webcasts, and case studies

Business 2.0
Business news, technology news, and innovation

Business Week
Business news

CNN/Money
Business news from CNN and Money magazine

Calculator.com
Standard calculator as well as loan, mortgage, scientific, fraction, and others

Components of Financial Statements
Principles of accounting from AccountingInfo.com

The Economist
Online highlights of print business journal (Full text articles available through EbscoHost)

Entrepreneur
Solutions for growing businesses

Financial Accounting Standards Board

High quality financial reporting standards

Financial Times

Financial news

Forbes
Business and financial news

Fortune
Business and financial news

GAO: General Accounting Office
U.S. Government Accountability Office

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
Bulletins, opinions, and accounting standards and concepts

IASB
International Accounting Standards Board

Journals: @Brint.com
Resources from business technology management and knowledge management

Management Accouting Quarterly
From the Institute of Management Accountants

Market Watch
Stock market news, commentary, and investor research

SmartBiz.com
Resources for small businesses

Smart Money
Investing, saving, and personal finance

United States Small Business Association
Resources for small businesses

Wall Street Journal
Business and stock market news

ZDNet
Business technology blogs