Texas Tech University s7

ACCT 5318: Income Tax Research & Planning Fall Semester – 2009

Instructor Robert Ricketts BA 503 742-3180 [email protected]

Office Hours MW 9:30 – 11:30 Others by appointment

Text Materials RIA CHECKPOINT: Tax Research Network accessible through course webpage (see below).

Course Web Page http://rricketts.ba.ttu.edu

Course Objective

This course is designed to provide students with the skills to conduct tax research and communicate their conclusions, recommendations, etc. at a professional level. By semester’s end, we will be intimately familiar not only with how to find the positions taken by different tax authorities, but more importantly, how to interpret those authoritative pronouncements (statutes, regulations, administrative pronouncements, case law, etc.), and how to apply them in situations of uncertainty. The course begins with assignments on how to find and interpret authoritative pronouncements, and ends with assignments designed to teach students how to derive conclusions when authoritative pronouncements are lacking. The primary emphasis of the course is on the ability to analyze problems in conditions of uncertainty and to communicate our analyses in clear, concise, and professional language.

Educational Outcomes

The goals of this course are to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to:  Analyze a set of facts and determine the relevant tax issues and research questions;  Locate the proper primary resources available that address these questions;  Interpret statutes and legal pronouncements available in the Internal Revenue Code, Congressional Committee Reports, Treasury Regulations, Revenue Rulings, Revenue Procedures, Technical Advice Memorandums, Letter Rulings, as well as decisions from all courts of original jurisdiction, appellate courts, and the U.S. Supreme Court in the preparation of a research task;  Analyze and synthesize all relevant research sources to determine the applicable principles implicit in each;  Apply those principles to determine the set of possible answers to a given question in the face of uncertainty and to ascertain the conditions under which each solution is most likely to apply; and  Communicate your analysis, conclusions and/or recommendations to your intended audience in a clear, effective and professional manner.

Time Requirements For This Course

We will meet two times per week. An assignment will be due for each class meeting. On Wednesdays, assignments will generally be submitted via WebCT. Written memos will be due every Monday. Thus, the course demands an extensive amount of time outside of class. Students who lack the time or flexibility to devote at least 12 hours per week outside of class may find it difficult to succeed in this course.

Course Policies

Attendance and Participation

Students are expected to attend all class sections. The course is structured as a seminar and student participation is mandatory. You should come to every class having read all assigned materials and be prepared to discuss them. Questions will hopefully be raised about those materials in class that you have not considered outside of class. Be prepared to think on your feet and answer questions that you have not had the opportunity to consider prior to class.

Absence due to Officially Approved Trips on behalf of Texas Tech University

The Texas Tech University Catalog states that the person officially responsible for a student missing class due to a TTU sponsored trip should notify the instructor of the departure and return schedule in advance of the trip. The student may not be penalized but is responsible for the material missed. (p.49)

Illness and Death Notification

The Center for Campus Life is responsible for notifying the campus community of student illnesses, immediate family deaths and/or student death. Generally, in cases of student illness or immediate family deaths, the notification to the appropriate campus community members occur when a student is absent from class for four (4) consecutive days with appropriate verification. It is always the student’s responsibility for missed class assignments and/or course work during their absence. The student is encouraged to contact the faculty member immediately regarding the absences and to provide verification afterwards. The notification from the Center for Campus Life does not excuse a student from class, assignments, and/or any other course requirements. The notification is provided as a courtesy. Observance of Religious Holy Days

Absence due to religious observance - The Texas Tech University Catalog states that a student who is absent from classes for the observance of a religious holy day will be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment scheduled for that day within a reasonable time after the absence (p.49). Notification must be made in writing and delivered in person no later than the 15th on which any University normal university class days are held (i.e. September 19, 2005 for the Fall semester). The student is responsible for all work and material covered during the absence.

Civility in the Classroom

Students are expected to assist in maintaining a classroom environment that is conducive to learning. In order to assure that all students have an opportunity to gain from time spent in class, unless otherwise approved by the instructor, students are prohibited from using cellular phones or beepers, making offensive remarks, eating (Note: drinking, unless in a computer laboratory, is allowed so long as you place empty containers in trash receptacles upon completion), reading newspapers, unauthorized internet or computer usage (e.g., using the wireless network to check email or browse the internet while using a laptop during class or using software programs not integral to the class discussion), sleeping, dipping tobacco, or engaging in any other form of distraction. Inappropriate behavior in the classroom shall result in, at a minimum, a request to leave class with more severe sanctions enacted if disruptive behavior persists.

Cheating

The accounting profession demands a high level of integrity from those who practice in it. Our standards of integrity must be above reproach. Those same standards will be applied in this course. Students are welcome to work with one another in preparing online assignments and submitting answers thereto. Note, however, that working together implies joint effort – submitting someone else’s answers to required assignments is a form of cheating and will be dealt with harshly. Working with classmates on written assignments is not allowed. It is expected that students will talk with one another on certain aspects of written assignments, but sharing memos, etc. is not allowed. Violation of these policies will result in a grade of “F” for the course.

Assessment (Grading)

Your grade for this course will be based on a combination of three factors: (1) grades received on weekly exercises; (2) grades received on written assignments, and (3) class participation. Satisfactory performance on class participation is a minimum requirement to receive a grade of “A” in this course. Overall, grades will be based on a weighted average of these three factors, with written assignments being weighted 75%, online exercises 15%, and class participation 10%.