When a homeowner voluntarily moves out of a home with no intention of returning, and the home secures a debt for which the homeowner is personally liable.
Original cost of a property plus certain additions and improvements minus certain deductions such as depreciation and casualty losses.
Gross income minus adjustments to income, such as IRA deductions, student loan interest, and alimony paid.
A tax credit for qualified adoption expenses paid to adopt an eligible child.
Payments to or for a spouse or former spouse under a divorce or separation instrument.
A tax system separate from the regular income tax system designed to ensure that individuals with substantial income pay at least a minimum amount of tax.
A method of recovering (deducting) certain costs over a fixed time period.
The cost of credit on a yearly basis, expressed as a percentage.
The original cost of property plus certain additions, improvements, and closing costs.
Costs that are ordinary and necessary to carry on a business.
Income tax withholding required on certain reportable transactions when a taxpayer fails to provide a correct Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN).
The amount of tax you owe after subtracting withholding, estimated tax payments, and credits from your total tax.
A legal procedure that may provide relief for individuals or businesses that cannot pay their debts.
The person or estate who receives benefits from an estate, trust, retirement plan, life insurance policy, or other asset upon the death of the owner.
For tax purposes, a person whose central visual acuity does not exceed 20/200 in the better eye with correcting lenses, or whose visual field is limited.
The difference between the basis of a capital asset and the amount received when it is sold.
A credit that may be available for each qualifying child under age 17 at the end of the tax year.
A type of virtual currency that uses cryptography to secure transactions that are digitally recorded on a distributed ledger, such as a blockchain.
Damage, destruction, or loss of property from an identifiable event that is sudden, unexpected, or unusual.
A donation or gift to a qualified organization, which may be deductible.
Property owned in common by a married couple that they acquire during marriage while living in a community property state.
A tax credit available to individuals who are either age 65 or older or who are retired on permanent and total disability.
A qualifying child or qualifying relative who meets certain tests and can be claimed on a taxpayer's tax return.
An electronic transfer of a refund into a taxpayer's financial account.
An amount that reduces taxable income.
A distribution of money, stock, or other property paid by a corporation to shareholders.
A casualty loss that occurred in an area declared a disaster by the President.
An annual income tax deduction that allows you to recover the cost of property used in a business or property that produces income.
Income received for work, such as wages, salaries, tips, and self-employment income.
A refundable tax credit for low to moderate income workers.
A tax payment system provided free by the U.S. Department of Treasury that allows businesses and individuals to pay federal taxes electronically.
All property and assets owned by a person at the time of their death.
Method of paying tax on income that is not subject to withholding, including self-employment income, interest, dividends, and capital gains.
A deduction allowed in calculating taxable income, based on specific criteria.
The price at which property would change hands between a willing buyer and a willing seller, neither being under any compulsion to buy or sell.
Category that determines which tax rates and standard deduction amount apply. The five filing statuses are: Single, Married Filing Jointly, Married Filing Separately, Head of Household, and Qualifying Widow(er).
A tax credit for individuals who purchased their first home in certain years.
A credit for certain taxes paid to a foreign government on income that is also subject to U.S. tax.
The standard federal income tax form used by U.S. taxpayers to file their annual income tax returns.
All income from gambling activities, which is fully taxable and must be reported on your tax return.
A tax on the transfer of property by one individual to another while receiving nothing, or less than full value, in return.
All income received in the form of money, goods, property, and services that is not exempt from tax.
A legal procedure in which a person's earnings or assets are required to be withheld by a third party for payment of a debt.
A filing status for unmarried taxpayers who pay more than half the cost of keeping up a home for a qualifying person.
A resource where individuals, families, and small businesses can learn about health coverage options, compare health plans, and enroll in coverage.
A tax-exempt trust or custodial account set up with a qualified HSA trustee to pay or reimburse certain medical expenses.
A deduction allowed for business use of your home under certain circumstances.
When someone uses someone else's personal information to commit fraud or other crimes.
A personal savings plan that gives tax advantages for setting aside money for retirement.
Relief from joint liability for a spouse who had no knowledge of a tax understatement by the other spouse.
An arrangement that allows you to pay your tax debt over time.
Income earned from bank accounts, certificates of deposit, and most bonds.
Specific expenses that can be deducted on Schedule A of Form 1040, such as medical expenses, taxes, interest, charitable contributions, and casualty losses.
A single tax return filed by a married couple.
Compensation received for serving on a jury, which is taxable income.
A tax on a child's unearned income above a certain threshold amount.
A tax form used to report a taxpayer's share of income, deductions, credits, etc. from a partnership, S corporation, estate, or trust.
A legal claim against property to secure payment of a tax debt.
A tax credit for qualified tuition and related expenses paid for eligible students enrolled in an eligible educational institution.
An exchange of business or investment property for similar property, which may qualify for deferral of gain.
Gain or loss on the sale of a capital asset held for more than one year.
The tax rate that applies to the last dollar of income.
A situation where two individuals pay more income tax as a married couple than they would pay combined as singles.
A tax that funds the Medicare program, paid by employees, employers, and self-employed individuals.
Adjusted gross income with certain deductions added back, used to determine eligibility for certain tax benefits.
Interest paid on a loan secured by your main home or second home, which may be deductible.
A 3.8% tax on net investment income for individuals above certain income thresholds.
A tax credit that can reduce your tax to zero but cannot result in a refund.
Income that is not subject to income tax.
An agreement between a taxpayer and that settles a tax debt for less than the full amount owed.
The excess of a debt instrument's stated redemption price at maturity over its issue price.
Any amount paid in excess of the tax liability, which may be refunded or applied to estimated tax.
Any rental activity or any business in which the taxpayer does not materially participate.
An additional charge imposed for failure to file a return, pay tax, or meet other requirements.
A refundable tax credit that helps eligible individuals and families cover the premiums for health insurance purchased through the Health Insurance Marketplace.
A deduction that reduced taxable income, which was suspended for tax years 2018 through 2025 by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
A deduction for eligible taxpayers who have qualified business income from a qualified trade or business.
Dividends that meet specific criteria and are taxed at the lower capital gains tax rates.
A child who meets the relationship, age, residency, support, and joint return tests for purposes of claiming certain tax benefits.
A person who meets the relationship, gross income, support, and not-a-qualifying-child tests for purposes of being claimed as a dependent.
State, local, or foreign taxes on real property that may be deductible.
Money returned to you when your tax payments exceed your tax liability.
A tax credit that can be paid to you even if you have no tax liability.
The minimum amount you must withdraw from your retirement accounts each year after you reach a certain age.
A plan established by an employer, individual, or self-employed person to provide retirement income.
A corporation that elects to pass corporate income, losses, deductions, and credits through to their shareholders for federal tax purposes.
A tax consisting of Social Security and Medicare taxes for individuals who work for themselves.
Benefits paid under the Social Security Act, which may be partially taxable.
A specific dollar amount that reduces the amount of income on which you are taxed, which varies according to your filing status.
A deduction for interest paid on qualified student loans, subject to income limits.
Money withheld from your paycheck to pay taxes, which you report on your tax return.
The 12-month period for which you must report your taxable income. For most individuals, this is January 1 to December 31.
An independent organization within that helps taxpayers resolve problems.
A number used to identify taxpayers. Examples include Social Security Numbers, Employer Identification Numbers, and Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers.
Money received for services performed, which is taxable income.
The sum of all taxes owed on your tax return, including income tax, self-employment tax, and other taxes.
A relationship where property is held by one party for the benefit of another.
A penalty imposed for not paying enough tax through withholding or estimated tax payments during the year.
Benefits paid by a state or the District of Columbia to unemployed individuals, which are generally taxable.
Income from investments and other sources not related to employment, such as interest, dividends, and capital gains.
Job expenses paid by an employee that are not reimbursed by the employer. These expenses were deductible as miscellaneous itemized deductions subject to the 2% limit before 2018, but are generally not deductible for tax years 2018 through 2025.
A program offering free tax help to people who generally make $60,000 or less, persons with disabilities, and limited English-speaking taxpayers.
The worth of property in money or money's worth. See also Fair Market Value.
A digital representation of value that functions as a medium of exchange, a unit of account, and/or a store of value.
The system of voluntary tax reporting in which each taxpayer is expected to report their income and calculate their tax liability correctly.
The form that an employer must provide to an employee and showing the employee's wages and taxes withheld for the year.
The form employees use to tell their employer how much tax to withhold from their paycheck.
See W-2 Form.
Payments for services performed by an employee for an employer.
The amount of tax your employer takes out of your wages and sends to the government.
Allowances claimed on Form W-4 that reduce the amount of income tax withheld from your pay.
A tax credit available in certain countries (not in the U.S.) for people who work but have low income.
A language used for electronic filing of tax returns.
The end of a tax year, which for most individuals is December 31.
The period from the beginning of the current year to the current date.
The return on an investment, such as the interest or dividends received from a security.
A historical term referring to the standard deduction built into the tax tables in prior tax years.
A situation where a taxpayer owes no income tax due to deductions, credits, and exemptions that reduce tax liability to zero.