Taxation Legal Terms and Definitions

Estate and Gift Tax One of the oldest and most common forms of taxation is the taxation of property held by an individual at the time of their death. Such a tax can take the form, among others, of estate tax (a tax levied on the estate before any transfers). An estate tax is a charge upon the decedent's entire estate, regardless of how it is disbursed. Limited Liability Company An LLC may be classified for Federal income tax purposes either as a partnership, a corporation, or an entity disregarded as an entity separate from its owner by applying the rules in Regulations section 301.7701-3. See Form 8832, Entity Classification Election, for more details. Compulsory payroll tax An automatic tax collected from employers and employees to finance specific programs. Exemptions Amount that taxpayers can claim for themselves, their spouses, and eligible dependents. There are two types of exemptions-personal and dependency. Each exemption reduces the income subject to tax. The exemption amount is a set amount that changes from year to year. 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). Dependent A person, other than the taxpayer or spouse, who entitles the taxpayer to claim a dependency exemption. Standard Mileage Rate For 2004, the standard mileage rate for the cost of operating your car, van, pickup, or panel truck is increased to 37.5 cents a mile for all business miles. Earned Income Credit A tax credit for certain people who work, meet certain requirements, and have earned income under a specified limit. 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. 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.

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	Did You Know?
	Form 8308 is Report of a Sale or Exchange of Certain Partnership Interests Report the sale or exchange by a partner of all or part of a partnership interest where any money or other property received in exchange for the interest is attributable to unrealized receivables or inventory items.