HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: pallantj@unvax.union.edu (Joseph C. Pallante)
Subject: More on Student taxes?
Organization: Union College, Schenectady, NY
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 1993 20:36:59 GMT

Recently, there have been a few postings regarding graduate student 
income.  I was curious if there are some other "not-so-well-known"
tax laws governing full time students.... Both graduate and
undergraduate.  Anyone know where I can look for some info?

Thank You!

Joe

Newsgroups: misc.taxes
From: ohumukin@spectra.com (Kawika Ohumukini)
Subject: Re: Can medical insurance be treated as a medical expense?
Organization: Spectragraphics Corporation
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 93 21:11:10 GMT

In article <1i7u5eINN58h@tamsun.tamu.edu> tpradeep@cs.tamu.edu (Pradeep K Tapadiya) writes:
>Greetings,
>
>Since my employer's contribution towards my medical insurance is
>not enough, a part of my income (deducted directly from my paycheck),
>goes towards the insurance.
>
>I am wondering if this contribution of mine can be treated as a medical
>expense. It only seems logical to me.
>Can someone please enlighten me?
>Thank you for your help.

I believe you can claim the installments as itemized deductions.

Kawika 

Newsgroups: misc.taxes
From: pheanis@envmsa.eas.asu.edu (David C. Pheanis)
Subject: Re: Turbotax, TaxCut
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.4-b1  
Organization: Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 20:02:00 GMT

In article <bj1r4mp@lynx.unm.edu>, bhjelle@carina.unm.edu () writes...
>Last year I was bothered by the new Turbotax which produced
>ugly, unreal-looking schedules (1040 was OK), simply because
>the IRS ruled that it would accept same.
> 
>I wasn't too bothered that the forms were ugly but they
>didn't even bother to arrange that they print out on
>a single page, or start the text anywhere near the top
>of the page.

     Either  you  have something set up incorrectly, or else you didn't use
the same Turbotax that  I  used.   I'm  running Windows 3.1 and using an HP
Laserjet printer, and my forms came out looking  almost  exactly  like  the
preprinted  IRS forms with none of the problems that you mention.  I didn't
do anything special  to  get  good  printouts -- just followed the Turbotax
installation instructions.

   +------------------------------------------------------------------+
   |   David C. Pheanis               Computer Science & Engineering  |
   |   pheanis@envmsa.eas.asu.edu     Arizona State University        |
   |   (602) 965-7389                 Tempe, Arizona 85287-5406       |
   +------------------------------------------------------------------+
From: davidm@meaddata.com (David James Miller)
Newsgroups: misc.taxes
Subject: Re: Can medical insurance be treated as a medical expense?
Date: 5 Jan 1993 15:25:49 GMT
Organization: Mead Data Central, Dayton OH
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: maddog.meaddata.com

In article <5JAN199308523624@mars.lerc.nasa.gov>, ioguo@mars.lerc.nasa.gov (OA Guo) writes:
|> In article <1993Jan4.133539.1395@nova.sarnoff.com>, jms@vision.sarnoff.com writes...
|> >I think you can have this deducted from your paycheck BEFORE taxes.
|> 
|> 	NOT!!! Bad assumption.
|> 	Please at least check your paycheck and be a little bit more sure
|> 	before you post anything.

Maybe you should check more than just your own :)

Employers with cafeteria plans allow the payment of medical insurance prior
to taxes, as well as the funding of a medical reimbursement account prior
to taxes (but after FICA).

This is true for Mead and NCR....

-- 
David James Miller                        Architecture&Systems Evolution
Mead Data Central, B6F3                   (513) 865-7441
PO Box 933                                davidm@meaddata.com
Dayton Ohio 45401                         I speak for me, not MDC
Newsgroups: misc.taxes
From: brownr@hydra.rtp.dg.com (Randy Brown)
Subject: Re: Can medical insurance be treated as a medical expense?
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 93 15:14:17 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: DG-RTP Graphics Group

In article <mars.lerc.nasa.gov>, ioguo@mars.lerc.nasa.gov (OA Guo) writes:
|> 
|> In article <nova.sarnoff.com>, jms@vision.sarnoff.com writes...
|> >
|> >I think you can have this deducted from your paycheck BEFORE taxes.
|> 
|> NOT!!! Bad assumption.
|> Please at least check your paycheck and be a little bit more sure
|> before you post anything.

OK... NOT NOT!  Reasonable assumption.  Our medical insurance programs
payments *are* deducted from our income *pre-tax* here at DG.  So, we
pay no taxes on our health program expenses.  I'm sure it varies from
company to company.  Please try to be more aware of the possibilities
before you followup to anything.

Randy
Newsgroups: misc.taxes
From: ask@cbnews.cb.att.com (Arthur S. Kamlet)
Subject: Re: HELP: using parents as de
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories,  Columbus, Ohio
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1993 04:08:32 GMT

In article <312.724.uupcb@ehbbs.gwinnett.com> leigh.melton@ehbbs.gwinnett.com (Leigh Melton)  writes:
>
>AC>My parents are getting old, and I have been giving
>AC>them approx $10.00 last year for Medical expenses,
>AC>and living assistance!  Although they are still working
>AC>(self employed ), is it possible for me to claim those
>AC>amount as tax deduction????
>
>I take it the $10.00 was a typo.  Anyhow, you cannot take this gift to
>your parents as a medical expense deduction unless they can be claimed
>as your dependents.  As they are still working, this is highly unlikely.
>Just chalk it up to your good karma account.  :)

Even if your parents and you meet the definitions for them to be
qualified dependents,  you cannot deduct any gifts you give them,
for whatever reasons.

If you personally write the check to their doctors, you could deduct
those costs, but if you gave them a gift which they used to pay the
doctors, you cannot deduct that.
-- 
Art Kamlet  a_s_kamlet@att.com  AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus
From: tpradeep@cs.tamu.edu (Pradeep K Tapadiya)
Newsgroups: misc.taxes
Subject: Is medical insurance a medical expense? SUMMARY
Date: 11 Jan 1993 21:22:54 GMT
Organization: Computer Science Department, Texas A&M University
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: neuron.tamu.edu

In a previous message I wrote

>Greetings,
> 
>Since my employer's contribution towards my medical insurance is
>not enough, a part of my income (deducted directly from my paycheck),
>goes towards the insurance.
> 
>I am wondering if this contribution of mine can be treated as a medical
>expense. It only seems logical to me.

Following are the responses I received. Thanks to all those who
responded.

Pradeep
--------------

From ho@teeeee.enet.dec.com

In general, premiums deducted for employer group medical insurance are
taken from pretax dollars, and were not counted as income.  Check with
your employer's payroll department to be sure, as this does require
that the employer's benefit program meet certain requirements.

Sam Ho
---------

From IOGUO@mars.lerc.nasa.gov

	Yes.  It is a medical expense.  Also include all the expense such
	as travelling to your doctor's office, dental cleaning, eyegalsses,
	prescription drugs, health examines and immunization shots.
	Add them up and if it comes up more than 7.5% of your AGI than
	you can deduct it in scheduel A.  Sound easy, right?

OA Guo 
----------

From MCMASTER@lstc2vm.stortek.com

Certainly you can deduct it, but only if your total deductible medical
expenses exceed the threshold.

Jim McMaster
------------

From shawn@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu Sun Jan  3 21:56:23 1993

Please summarize back to the net.

I'm fairly sure I asked my accountant this once and they said no.  The
deduction is for dollars laid out for medical care, not insurance.
Also there's a floor on the total layout before deductions (It's
probably a percentage of income).

Best of luck
From: glenn@sharebase.com (Glenn Linderman)
Newsgroups: misc.taxes
Subject: Points on remodel mortgage not used for remodel
Date: 6 Jan 93 20:39:18 GMT
Organization: NCR/ShareBase Corporation

Points on a mortgage are deductible in the year paid if used to purchase or
improve your home.  (1040 instructions).

I refinanced my home in November, with the intention to use the proceeds
to remodel my home.  The remodel is scheduled for April '93, but I
refinanced in November because I expected rates to go up after the
election (which isn't so, yet, but that's what I did).

Because my job was terminated, I may be leaving the area to find another,
which would involve selling my home, and repaying the mortgage without
doing the remodel.

Obviously the points will be dedectible because of the early termination
of the mortgage, even though they weren't used for a remodel.  But that
would be for '93 taxes, not '92 taxes, whereas deducting them for
remodel would allow them for '92 taxes.

Any ideas how what the IRS would think of my deducting the points for
'92, and then not using the funds for a remodel?  If I find a job locally
and decide to stay here, I'll go ahead with the remodel.  But so far, my
only job offers involve a relocation.

GLenn
From: ov@head-cfa.harvard.edu (Olaf Vancura)
Newsgroups: misc.taxes
Subject: Taxes on Gifts
Date: 8 Jan 93 14:01:51 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA,  USA

A couple of questions on gift taxes.  Does the giver or receiver potentially
pay taxes on monetary gifts?  And, is there some maximum below which the
gift is tax free to both?  Does the IRS consider the sum of all gifts to/from 
an individual in determining taxes, or is each gift considered separately?

Any help much appreciated!

Thanks,

Olaf
Email: ov@cfa257.harvard.edu
From: al037@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Dave Polewka)
Newsgroups: misc.taxes
Subject: Federal property taxes?
Date: 10 Jan 1993 17:15:55 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Reply-To: al037@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Dave Polewka)
NNTP-Posting-Host: slc10.ins.cwru.edu



A recent CNN "factoid" said that the U.S. Government 
owns 60% of the land in Wyoming.
Does the U.S. pay local property taxes?
-- 
=======================
"Endeavor to persevere"
=======================
Newsgroups: misc.taxes
From: flowers@lanai.cs.ucla.edu (Margot Flowers)
Subject: Re: Which tax prep book to use?
Organization: UCLA, Computer Science Department
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 93 21:34:13 GMT

In <1993Jan11.204748.6366@meiko.com> hardesty@meiko.com (Robert Hardesty) writes:
> I am trying to decide which tax prep book is best to use.  There
> seems to be some that are put out by Cusumer Reports, Money, H&R Block
> among others and I was wondering which one to choose.  Are there specific
> things I should be looking for when I buy one?

In the past I have found that the types of book you mention do not do
much more than regurgitate the various tax form instructions, and as
such don't offer much more help than the big tax info book you can get
the IRS to send you from the back of the IRS package you get in the
mail.

In contrast, _Tax Guide for College Teachers & Other College
Personnel_ is full of lots of useful information about how to manage
your finances, and report them, in ways to save you money and not
trigger IRS queries.  Much of the advice in the book is based on tax
court rulings and letters, and the strategies in the book go far
beyond form filling information.  Most of the book pertains to
situations involving tax payers in general, and only a minority of the
information in it pertains specifically to college teachers.  There is
also a related _Tax Guide for Engineers_ which, when I compared it a
few years ago, was almost the same as the _Tax Guide for College
Teachers_.  They offer a money back guarantee if you don't save at
least $250 on your taxes.  

A quick blurb from the front of this year's brochure advertising the
book:

  Read about the many new changes that affect your 1992 tax return.
  This year's Tax Guide includes new rules for travel, investing,
  tax-sheltered annuitites, charity, interest, tax-free income, auto
  expenses, mortgages, extimated tax, sabbaticals, and much more.

  Learn how to reduce your taxes this year by taking full advantage of
  all the new Laws, Court Cases, and IRS Rulings that apply to you.
  Included in the book are all last minute changes in the law that
  affect your 1992 tax return.

The cost of the book is $27.95, plus $2.90 P&H (or $4.90 P&H for first
class mail), plus 5% tax for Maryland residents.  There is a $3.00
discount for future editions to prior users.  Order from Academic
Information Service, Inc., College Park Office, Post Office Box 929,
College Park MD 20741-9965.

Out of curiousity, does anyone else know of any other good strategy
and advice tax books, that don't just tell how to fill out the forms?

-- Margot
(a satisfied user of Tax Guide ... for the last several years)

Margot Flowers 
Flowers@CS.UCLA.EDU 
...!(uunet,rutgers,ucbvax,randvax)!cs.ucla.edu!flowers
  
Newsgroups: misc.taxes
From: artc@iplmail.orl.mmc.com (Art Chang)
Subject: Re: HELP: using parents as dependents?????
Organization: Martin Marietta
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 20:46:41 GMT



  made a boooobooo on the last posting... 
  it suppose to read $10,000 not $10.00


thanks


In article <1993Jan4.175628.1939@iplmail.orl.mmc.com>, artc@iplmail.orl.mmc.com (Art Chang) writes:
|> 
|> 
|> Have a question for all you Tax Wiz out there on
|> the Net Land....
|> 
|> 
|> My parents are getting old, and I have been giving 
|> them approx $10,000 last year for Medical expenses,
              ^^^^^^^^^^
                not $10.00


|> and living assistance!  Although they are still working
|> (self employed ), is it possible for me to claim those
|> amount as tax deduction????
|> HELP -> just received my 1040 form.....   YUK!
|>         is it that time of the year already????
|> 
|> 
|> thanks
|> Art
Newsgroups: misc.taxes
From: an5025@anon.penet.fi
Subject: Declaring extra income
Organization: Anonymous contact service
X-Anonymously-To: misc.taxes
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 23:44:16 GMT

My sole proprietership did not do so well in 1992 and, as a
result, my adjusted gross income is less than the sum of my
personal deductions and exemptions.  I'm looking for legal ways
to move income into the 1992 tax year to take advantage of the 0%
marginal tax rate.

I've come up with only one idea so far: I can voluntarily make my
1992 IRA contribution non-deductible.

Does the net have any other ideas?  -- For instance, may I
declare capital gains on stock which has apreciated even though I
did not sell it?  Is it legal to defer a Schedule C loss until
1993?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
To find out more about the anon service, send mail to help@anon.penet.fi.
Due to the double-blind system, any replies to this message will be anonymized,
and an anonymous id will be allocated automatically. You have been warned.
From: rdyreng@oodis01.hill.af.mil (Russell I. Dyreng;OO-ALC/LILEP)
Newsgroups: misc.taxes
Subject: Re: Need advice to lower taxes
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 93 15:22:30 -0700
Organization: Fedtax-L<==>Misc.Taxes Gateway
X-Gateway-Source-Info: Mailing List

In your message of  8 Jan 1993 at 1328 MST, you write:
>
> In article <C0JLHE.G24@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, acheng@ncsa.uiuc.edu (Albert Cheng) writes:
> >
> > This IRA matter is so confusing and such a trap.  Those rascals at
> > Washington should either eliminate it all or make it open to all
> > without all these IF's, BUT's.
> >
> What I don't understand (and correct me if I'm wrong), is that for a normal
> IRA (where you do *not* deduct the depoit's, only the interest is tax defered) -
> you can only invest $2000 per yr.  But you can open as many as you want.  Is
> this just a loophole that might be closed (i.e. the as many as you want).  If
> not why not get rid of the limit and make everyone's paperwork easier.
> --
> Dave Wagner                               "Tongue-tied and twisted,
> davew@cray.com , uunet!cray!davew          just an earth-bound misfit, I"
> (612) 683-5393                                  -- Pink Floyd
>
There is no loophole in this case.  You *are* allowed to open multiple
IRA's.  However, the total contributions to these accounts may not
exceed $2000 per year

Russ
Newsgroups: misc.taxes,misc.invest
From: rick@eaglet.rain.com (Rick Lindsley)
Subject: Re: tax on tax refund
Organization: Quagmire Annex
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 04:34:12 GMT

jxs18@po.CWRU.Edu (Jerry Sy) writes:

    when I receive a tax refund, it is going to be taxable the
    following year.  my question is, if I opt not to receive the refund
    and carry it over to next year, would I still be taxed for that ?
    would I be better off if I do that ? assuming that I receive $600
    in federal and state tax refunds ?

A federal tax refund is not taxable by the feds. You've already been
taxed on that money by the feds. Whether it's taxed by the state will
probably depend on your state and the deductions you took. The states
I've lived in didn't care. A state tax refund is taxable on your
federal return if, in the tax year for which you are receiving a
refund, you itemized deductions and claimed state income tax as a
deduction. In these circumstances, you did not pay federal taxes on
that money, so the feds want their cut. Your state won't, because it
has all the taxes it thought it deserved.

If you have taxable income, then whether you take it, apply it toward
next year, or give it to your children, it's still taxable income.

Rick
From: obrien@hri.com (Jim Obrien)
Newsgroups: misc.taxes
Subject: Mortgage application fee declined
Date: 6 Jan 93 19:56:18 GMT
Reply-To: obrien@bigbird.hri.com
Organization: Horizon Research, Inc.

I applied for a mortgage and was declined. A few months
later I applied for a mortgage at a different company
and go the loan.

I was wondering if I could deduct the declined fee as
a loss.
Newsgroups: misc.taxes
From: MCMASTER@LSTC2VM.stortek.com (Jim McMaster)
Subject: Re: Can medical insurance be treated as a medical expense?
Organization: StorageTek SW Engineering
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 20:59:40 GMT

In article <5JAN199308523624@mars.lerc.nasa.gov>
ioguo@mars.lerc.nasa.gov (OA Guo) writes:
 
>In article <1993Jan4.133539.1395@nova.sarnoff.com>, jms@vision.sarnoff.com writes...
>>I think you can have this deducted from your paycheck BEFORE taxes.
>
>        NOT!!! Bad assumption.
>        Please at least check your paycheck and be a little bit more sure
>        before you post anything.
>>
>>Jerry
 
If your company has a flexible benefit plan approved by the IRS,
medical and dependent-care expenses can indeed be paid befire taxes.
This includes medical insurance premiums.
 
I know....my last two companies have had them.
 
Jim McMaster
Newsgroups: misc.taxes,misc.invest
From: cep@taligent.com (Christophe Pettus)
Subject: Re: tax on tax refund
Organization: Taligent, a little subsidiary of two really big companies.
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 21:17:31 GMT

In article <11JAN199313330799@envmsa.eas.asu.edu> pheanis@envmsa.eas.asu.edu (David C. Pheanis) writes:
>     You  aren't  quite  right  when  you say that states don't tax Federal
>income tax refunds.  In Arizona a person can deduct his Federal withholding
>one year and then must treat a refund as income the next year to compensate
>for the fact that the amount of the refund  was part of the previous year's
>deduction.

Good point; I had forgotten that there are states that allow you to deduct
Federal taxes.
--
-- Christophe

"Bad analogy!  No biscuit!"
From: vanover@bcsaic.boeing.com (Jann VanOver)
Newsgroups: misc.taxes
Subject: Re: Tax Programs
Date: 12 Jan 93 00:37:13 GMT
Organization: Boeing Computer Services, Seattle

In article <009665EF.98D0AC80@LNS62.TN.CORNELL.EDU> schmidt@LNS62.TN.CORNELL.EDU writes:
>
>THAT time of year is approaching again, and my mailbox is already
>filling up with solicitations to buy tax preparation programs. A
>couple of years ago when I looked at Parsons' PERSONAL TAX EDGE
>I was not impressed.  Has anyone examined this year's offering and
>care to share their opinion? (the $19 price is certainly intriguing)
>

Please mention which computing platform you use the tax program(s) on.
Some are available for Mac and PC, but most aren't and it is important
to know what people are talking about.

Thanks
Jann
vanover@atc.boeing.com
Newsgroups: misc.taxes
From: acheng@ncsa.uiuc.edu (Albert Cheng)
Subject: Re: Social Security for non-citizens
Originator: acheng@shalom.ncsa.uiuc.edu
Organization: Nat'l Ctr for Supercomp App (NCSA) @ University of Illinois
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 15:49:49 GMT


In article <1993Jan11.230123.6681@ncsa.uiuc.edu>, vijay@ncsa.uiuc.edu (Vijay Rangarajan) writes:
>Excellent point. This is the other side of the coin - good alternate view 
>for discussion on the matter. Looks like the SS tax law as existent today,
>can end up forcing NON-RESIDENTS with no intention of becoming citizens,
>into paying for benefits that they cannot enjoy or as you point out leave
>a hole open for exploitation were it to be changed to exempt NON-CITIZENS.
>BUT NON-RESIDENTS cannot become citizens. They have to become residents first!
>
>What I'm trying to point out is that Citizens and residents (potentially) 
>can use SS and it is fair that they pay for it (even though residents who
>don't intend to take up citizenship end up losing to reverse abuse by the 
>gov't).
>
>The abuse that you point out can only happen after a NON-RESIDENT becomes a
>resident. A resident then has to wait out 5 years before becoming eligible
>to apply for citizenship. Why don't they tax residents to protect against
>such abuse and leave non-residents alone, even though this is not entirely
>fair on residents not wanting to become citizens ? 
>
>Again, you have made an excellent point, it is just that NON-RESIDENTS (caps
>all along to emphasize difference between NON-CITIZENS and NON-RESIDENTS),
>cannot use SS because they cannot become citizens impulsively.

Residents (aka P.R.) have to pay SStax and can receive SS benefit.
Social Security is quite fair and consistent in this aspect of
taxing people who will receive benefit.
Newsgroups: misc.taxes
From: vijay@ncsa.uiuc.edu (Vijay Rangarajan)
Subject: Re: Social Security for non-citizens
Originator: vijay@picard.ncsa.uiuc.edu
Organization: Nat'l Ctr for Supercomp App (NCSA) @ University of Illinois
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 15:32:42 GMT

In article <C0K5J2.6qG@tss.com> burke@tss.com (Jim Burke) writes:
>the obligation of paying taxes.  Why should a non-citizen have benefits
>our own citizens don't have?

First of all, I agree with your point that SS tax has to be paid by all
(only) because it is a law. Regarding your question above, non-citizens 
are requesting the benefit of exemption from paying for priviledges they
'cannot' use (not 'may not' use as is the case with citizens).

Vijay.
From: hardesty@meiko.com (Robert Hardesty)
Newsgroups: misc.taxes
Subject: Which tax prep book to use?
Date: 11 Jan 93 20:47:48 GMT
Organization: Meiko Scientific Corp.



I am trying to decide which tax prep book is best to use.  There
seems to be some that are put out by Cusumer Reports, Money, H&R Block
among others and I was wondering which one to choose.  Are there specific
things I should be looking for when I buy one?


Thanks,


Robert
-- 
Robert R. Hardesty			hardesty@meiko.com
Customer Support Engineer		Tele: (617) 890-7676
Meiko Scientific Corporation		Fax: (617) 890-5042
1601 Trapelo Rd.  			Waltham, MA 02154
From: GRS03106@CONRAD.APPSTATE.EDU (*GRS9999102)
Newsgroups: misc.taxes
Subject: Re:Am tax '92- FTP site
Date: 12 Jan 1993 05:15:44 GMT
Organization: APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: alf.appstate.edu
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.24

I just found Am tax '92 on ftp site:
wuarchive.wustl.edu
it was in /mirrors/msdos/taxes.
Have a wonderful tax  season.

Newsgroups: misc.taxes