FREEMAN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
TAXN 4100-01 (CRN 82958)
Business Taxation
Fall 2015
Instructor: Anu Varadharajan
Office Phone: 4-7452
Office: 509 GW1
E-mail: avaradha@tulane.edu
Office Hours: Thursday, 11-Noon
Blackboard Site: myTulane.blackboard.com
Class Meeting Day & Time
Tue/Th 9:30a-10:45am
Class Location: GWII, Room 1111
Teaching Assistants:
Karli Rosen: krosen2@tulane.edu Lauren Wilkin: lwilkin2@tulane.edu
Course Description:
TAXN 4100 examines the federal system of taxation as it relates to businesses. The course includes an
analysis of the taxation of corporations, S corporations, and partnerships. TAXN 4100 uses a businesscycle approach, wherein the tax effects of formation, ongoing operation, and disposition of the entity are
discussed. Tax effects of various transactions as they relate to the shareholders/partners are also
discussed. The course is “Code” (Internal Revenue Code) oriented, emphasizing the primary authorities
that govern tax matters. TAXN 4100 is required for CPA examination candidates. Cross listed with
TAXN 7100-01
Course Prerequisites:
ACCN 3100
Course Goals
All tax professionals will encounter tax issues involving entities other than the individual tax
payer. Understanding the differences between the different types of entities, the tax laws that
affect these entities, and the ability to determine tax liabilities will make you an all-rounded tax
professional. This course provides you with the over view of the tax issues that impact the
different types of legal entities (excluding individuals) and enable you to determine tax liabilities
for the entities and their members.
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Student Learning Objectives
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Explain the differences between the different types of entities with respect to their
formation, operation and liquidation
Discuss the tax effects on the shareholder / member for each of these entities
Discuss the pros-cons for each of type of entity – both tax and non-tax issues
Calculate the tax liability for a corporation
Prepare a simple corporate tax return, partnership return and S corporation return
Course Material
Text: South-Western Federal Taxation 2014: Corporations, Partnerships, Estates and
Trusts, 37th Edition, Hoffman/Raabe/Smith/Maloney
Tax Research Services – To access readings on the Code or to undertake tax research, all
registered students have access to electronic tax library via Checkpoint.
Grading
This course follows the faculty approved grading guidelines of a maximum class average GPA in
the range of 2.700 to 3.000 for core classes and a maximum class average GPA in the range of
3.000-3.333 for business elective classes. Please note the stated average class GPA range is a
maximum average range and the class average GPA range could be lower.
Class Attendance
Attendance is mandatory. You are encouraged to come to class having read all the material beforehand.
You are expected to attend class. This means that you are expected to arrive on time and to remain for the
entire class period. If you do miss a class, it is your responsibility to ensure that you obtain any handouts
or assignments and understand the material covered in the class missed. Also, because this is an
accelerated class you will need to diligently prepare for each session in order to keep up with the material.
Falling behind in such a compressed class will make it more difficult to be successful in this class.
Finally, because we will not be using laptops or tablets in class, I request that you not turn on or use your
laptops or tablets during class unless you are asked to do so.
Statement about Academic Integrity
This class will be conducted in full accordance with Tulane’s policies about academic integrity including,
but not limited to, the Code of Academic Integrity and the Code of Student Conduct. These can be found
at: http://tulane.edu/college/code.cfm and http://tulane.edu/studentaffairs/conduct/code.cfm
Freeman Educational Norms and Expectations
This class will be conducted in full accordance with Freeman’s Educational Norms and Expectations.
Please reread the Norms and Expectations, which can be found at
http://www.freeman.tulane.edu/students/bsm/pdf/Expected%20Behavioral%20Norms.pdf
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Learning Disabilities
Under the Americans with Disability Act and the Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, if you have a
disability, you may have the right to an accommodation; however, the right is contingent upon you taking
certain steps. You should review the steps that you need to take, as well as Tulane’s policy concerning
accommodations at http://tulane.edu/studentaffairs/disability/accommodations.cfm
Any student with a disability, in need of course or examination accommodation, should request an
accommodation through the University’s Office of Disability Services (ODS) located in the Mechanical
Engineering Building. At the beginning of the semester, please provide me with a copy of your approved
ODS accommodation form. I am committed to working with ODS to ensure that I provide you with all
approved accommodations. If you do not deliver the approved accommodation form to me, I will not
know that ODS approved your accommodation and I will have no basis to provide those
accommodations.
PLEASE NOTE: For students with extended time accommodation, you are to take your exams within
the Freeman School, please take your Exam Request Form to Suite 200 at least four business days before
the exam and the Office of Undergraduate Programs will schedule your exam. You must begin your
exam when the class normally would begin. For all other accommodations, please take your form to ODS
and they will schedule your exam.
Specific Course Policies
Keys to success
To successfully master the principles of corporate taxation you will need to practice applying the concepts
we discuss in class. The theory underlying corporate taxation is straightforward; the application is where
everything gets complicated and your understanding of these concepts is truly tested.
E-mail, BlackBoard and class notes
I will communicate with you regularly via e-mail; you are responsible for the content of these messages. I
will use the e-mail account that appears in the class roster to create a class mailing list. This e-mail
address is the one that appears with your name in the Tulane directory.
The BlackBoard page maintained for this class also provides useful course information. You should
access this page on a regular basis to ensure you are up to date and aware of what is going on in this class.
Additionally, class notes for each class (a PowerPoint file) will be posted to BlackBoard the day before
the class meeting. You will find the tax return project information here, as well.
Evaluation
A rigorous academic environment will be maintained in this class. Tentative course evaluation (subject to
change)
Midterms (2 each)
Corporate Tax Return
Partnership Tax Return
Final Exam (2 parts comprehensive)
Total
200 points
50 points
50 points
200 points
500 points
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All quizzes, midterms and final exam are CLOSED BOOK. You may be allowed an index card for
each midterm and final exam – I will clarify this later in the semester.
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The final exam is comprehensive and will have two parts: a take-home part (worked in a group)
and an in-class exam. The in-class exam will take place during your regularly scheduled class on
Tuesday, December 1, 2015. The take-home part will be due on Thursday, December 3 by 5
pm in my office. NO LATE EXAMS WILL BE ACCEPTED.
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NO MAKE-UP ASSESSMENTS WILL BE GIVEN UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE.
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I will assign your groups. I recommend you sit with your group members in class so you get used
to working with each other. These are the group members you will be working with all semester.
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All assignments are due on the date agreed upon. I WILL NOT ACCEPT LATE SUBMISSIONS
UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE.
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Grade disputes: You have one week from when I return the exam to discuss any grade changes. I
will NOT discuss grades after that time.
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CLASS
Tuesday
1
18-Aug
2
3
25-Aug
27-Aug
1-Sep
6
7
3-Sep
8-Sep
8
9
11
15-Sep
17-Sep
22-Sep
12
13
15
29-Sep
1-Oct
6-Oct
Different types of entities
Ch 2 Pages 1-6; Ch
13 Pages 1-18
Operating a C-Corp - Tax Year,
Method of Accounting
Ch 2 Pages 7-37
Operating a C-Corp Depreciation, Amortization
Ch 2 Pages 7-37
Quiz 1; Operating a C-Corp
Property Disposition, Business
Expenses
Ch 2 Pages 7-37
Corporate Tax liability, Booktax differences
Forming a Corporation
Ch 4, Pages 1-19
Forming a Corporation
Ch 4, Pages 1-19
Midterm 1 - Entire Class Period
24-Sep
14
End of Chapter
Problems
Working with tax law
Online research - working with
checkpoint
Operating a C-Corp - Charitable
contributions, Dividends rec'd
NOL, DPAD
10-Sep
10
Readings
Introduction / what is a tax?
20-Aug
4
5
Thursday Topics
Distributions from corporation
Ch 5, Pages 2-9
Liquidation
Ch 6 Pages 1-13
Tax Return Prep - In class
assignment
Forming a Partnership
5
Ch 10 Pages 1-15
Ch 2: Qn 1, 4, 34,
35, 37 Ch 13: 2, 5,
38,
16
17
8-Oct
13-Oct
Operating a Partnership
Ch 10 Pages 17-42
Operating a Partnership
Ch 10 Pages 17-42
FALL BREAK OCTOBER 15 - OCTOBER 18, 2015
18
20-Oct
19
20
22-Oct
27-Oct
21
22
24
3-Nov
26
10-Nov
28
17-Nov
Liquidating a partnership
Operating an S Corporation
S Corporation shareholder
issues
Single vs Double taxation
19-Nov
24-Nov
Ch 11 Pages 19 24
S Corporation shareholder
issues
12-Nov
27
Distribution from Partnership Partnership consequences
Midterm 2 - Entire Class Period
5-Nov
25
Ch 11 Pages 2-14
Liquidating a partnership
29-Oct
23
Quiz 2; Distribution from
Partnership - partner
consequences
Ch 13: Pages 5-18
Quiz 3 / Catch up Class
Review Class, Final Exam
Take-Home portion given out
THANKSGIVING BREAK NOVEMBER 25 - NOVEMBER 29, 2015
FINAL EXAM: December 1, 2015
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