Accountancy 332 Taxation of Business Entities; Section 1
Spring 2015
San Diego State University
College of Business Administration
Charles W. Lamden School of Accountancy
COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Nathan Oestreich; drno@sdsu.edu
Class Days: Tuesday-Thursday, 1600
Class Location: EBA 439
Office: SSE 2413
Office Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, 1445 – 1545 until
March 10 (after March 10, TBA); by appointment.
Course Overview
Tax costs can consume a significant portion of business and individual wealth. Nearly every economic decision
involves tax considerations. The study of taxation is important for any business major, but it has added
importance for students interested in careers in accounting. Taxation is pervasive, complex and critical to
decision-making. This course is the comprehensive study of mostly Federal United States-based taxes. Although
we recommend ACCTG 503, this course likely represents the terminal point for the study of taxation for many
students. Topics focus heavily on taxation as it relates to business entities (as opposed to individuals) and includes
gross income, business deductions, cost recovery, property exchanges, gains and losses, multi-state taxation,
international taxation, tax sources, tax research and tax communication.
Course Objectives:
At the end of this course, students should be able to:
1. Comprehend the rationale for tax laws by differentiating the types of tax bases and weighing the multiple
objectives tax policymakers consider when developing new tax law.
2. Apply analytical reasoning tools to assess how taxes affect economic decisions for business-related
taxpaying entities:
a. Through the amount and timing of income recognition and deductions
b. Related to property transactions that generate recognized, deferred, or no taxable gains and
losses
c. Related to organization form decisions.
3. Develop a fundamental understanding of the components of taxable income determination across taxable
entities so that the student builds a foundation for effectively learning future tax laws
4. Draw supportable conclusions regarding tax issues by using research skills (including accessing and
interpreting sources of authoritative support) to identify and evaluate opportunities
5. Communicate tax conclusions in a clear and concise manner to relevant stakeholders.
Student Learning Outcomes BSBA students will graduate being:
 Effective Communicators
 Critical Thinkers
 Able to Analyze Ethical Problems
 Global in their perspective
 Knowledgeable about the essentials of business
Enrollment Information and Course Materials
Upper Division Business Major, Business Minor, or other approved Non-Business Major
Course Material: Essentials of Taxation, Individuals and Business Entities 2015 Ed., (Smith, Raabe, Maloney,
Young)
Course Structure and Conduct
Lecture-Discussion, Homework, Cases, Exams.
Students with Disabilities
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it is your
responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473. To avoid any delay in the receipt of your
accommodations, you should contact Student Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note that
accommodations are not retroactive, and that accommodations based upon disability cannot be provided until you
have presented your instructor with an accommodation letter from Student Disability Services. Your cooperation is
appreciated.
Academic Honesty
The University adheres to a strict policy regarding cheating and plagiarism. These activities will not be tolerated in
this class. Become familiar with the policy (http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/srr/conduct1.html). Any cheating or plagiarism
will result in a grade of zero on the assignment, and in extreme situations, in the judgment of the instructor, a
grade of “F” in the course.
Examples of Plagiarism include but are not limited to:
 Using sources verbatim or paraphrasing without giving proper attribution (this can include phrases,
sentences, paragraphs and/or pages of work)
 Copying and pasting work from an online or offline source directly and calling it your own
 Using information you find from an online or offline source without giving the author credit
 Replacing words or phrases from another source and inserting your own words or phrases
 Submitting a piece of work you did for one class to another class
If you have questions on what is plagiarism, please consult the policy and this helpful guide from the Library
Turnitin
Students agree that by taking this course all required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity
review to Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted papers will be included as source documents
in the Turnitin.com reference database solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of such papers. You may
submit your papers in such a way that no identifying information about you is included. Another option is that you
may request, in writing, that your papers not be submitted to Turnitin.com. However, if you choose this option you
will be required to provide documentation to substantiate that the papers are your original work and do not
include any plagiarized material.
Assessments and Grading
Course grades will be assigned in accordance with San Diego State University policy (see General Catalog, pp. 468470). Undergraduate grades shall be: A (outstanding achievement, available only for the highest accomplishment),
B (praiseworthy performance, definitely above average), C (average, awarded for satisfactory performance, the
most common undergraduate grade), D (minimally passing, less than the typical undergraduate achievement), F
(failing).
Table1. Your course grade will be based on the following weighted components
Component
Weight
Online homework
10
Cases/In-class activities
15
Exam 1/Exam 2
Final exam
20/20
35
Grade of Incomplete. A grade of Incomplete (I) indicates that a portion of required coursework has not been
completed and evaluated in the prescribed time period due to unforeseen, but fully justified, reasons and that
there is still a possibility of earning credit. It is your responsibility to bring pertinent information to the instructor
and to reach agreement on the means by which the remaining course requirements will be satisfied. The
conditions for removal of the Incomplete shall be reduced to writing by the instructor and given to you with a copy
placed on file with the department chair until the Incomplete is removed or the time limit for removal has passed.
A final grade is assigned when the work agreed upon has been completed and evaluated. An Incomplete shall not
be assigned when the only way you could make up the work would be to attend a major portion of the class when
it is next offered. Contract forms for Incomplete grades are available at the Office of the Registrar website
Tentative Course Schedule
Week
Topics
Activities
Topic 1
Introduction to Taxation
Chapter 1
Topic 2
Gross Income
Chapter 4
Topic 3
Business Deductions
Chapter 5
Topic 4
Business Losses
Chapter 6
Topic 5
Taxable and Non-Taxable Property
Transactions
Chapter 7
Exam 1
Topics 1 – 5 (Open book)
February 24
Topic 6
Individuals as Employees and
Proprietors
Chapter 12
Topic 7
Corporations
Chapter 13
Topic 1
Partnerships
Chapter 14
Topic 9
S Corporations
Chapter 15
Exam 2
Topics 6 – 9 (Open book)
April 9
Topic 10
Multijurisdictional Taxation
Chapter 16
Topic 11
Business Tax Credits and
Chapter 17 and 18
Comparative Forms of Business
Topic 12
Working with the tax law and
Chapter 2 and 3
Taxes on the Financial Statements
Final Exam
May 12, 1530 - 1730
Changes to the course schedule, if any, will be announced in class.
Spring Break, March 30 – April 3