Benjamin, a new staff accountant for Local Firm CPAs, LLC, takes a CPA review course to help prepare for the CPA exam. Benjamin is not reimbursed for

Using the Internet, find a comparison of income tax rates across states.  What state currently has the highest income tax rate?  In considering individual tax burdens across states, what other taxes should you consider?

Locate the IRS Web site at http://www.irs.gov/.  For every $100 the IRS collected, how much was spent on the IRS collection efforts?  What tax system criterion does this information help you to evaluate with respect to the current U.S. tax system?

Congress would like to increase tax revenues by 10 percent.  Assume that the average taxpayer in the United States earns $65,000 and pays an average tax rate of 15 percent.  If the income effect is in effect for all taxpayers, what average tax rate will result in a 10 percent increase in tax revenues?  This is an example of what type of forecasting?

Lorenzo is considering starting a trucking company either in Texas or Oklahoma.  He will relocate his family, which includes his wife, children, and parents, to reside in the same state as his business.  What types of taxes may influence his decision of where to locate his business?

Consider the following tax rate structure.  Is it horizontally equitable?  Why or why not?  Is it vertically equitable?  Why or why not?

Consider the following tax rate structure.  Is it horizontally equitable?  Why or why not?  Is it vertically equitable?  Why or why not?

Consider the following tax rate structure.  Is it horizontally equitable?  Why or why not?  Is it vertically equitable?  Why or why not?

Using the facts in problem 52, what is the minimum tax that Pedro should pay to make the tax structure vertically equitable with respect to the amount of tax paid?  This would result in what type of tax rate structure?

Using the facts in problem 52, what is the minimum tax that Pedro should pay to make the tax structure vertically equitable based on the tax rate paid?  This would result in what type of tax rate structure?

Given the following tax structure, what tax would need to be assessed on Venita to make the tax horizontally equitable?

Using the facts from problem 50, what will happen to the government’s tax revenues if Song chooses to spend more time pursuing her other passions besides work in response to the tax rate change and earns only $75,000 in taxable income?  What is the term that describes this type of reaction to a tax rate increase?  What types of taxpayers are likely to respond in this manner?

Song earns $100,000 taxable income as an interior designer and is taxed at an average rate of 20 percent (i.e., $20,000 of tax).  If Congress increases the income tax rate such that Song’s average tax rate increases from 20 percent to 25 percent, how much more income tax will she pay assuming that the income effect is descriptive?  What effect will this tax rate change have on the tax base and tax collected