Jan C. Hurd is a widow, age 49, who lives at 429 Yucca Road, Pittsburgh, PA...

 

 

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Jan C. Hurd is a widow, age 49, who lives at 429 Yucca Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15532. She is employed part-time by several local law firms as a paralegal, She maintains a household that includes the following persons: Peter (age 19), Mary (age 23), Irene (age 24), and Harriet (age 70), Peter is her own son and a full-time student, while Mary and Irene are stepdaughters and college graduates. Harriet is Jan's mother-in-law. Except for Harriet, who receives a modest Social Security benefit, none of these persons receive any income during the year. Jan's receipts for 2019 are summarized below: $71,000 Salary Interest Income Wells Fargo certificate of deposit City of Pittsburgh bonds Caterpillar Corporation bonds Life insurance proceeds Lawsuit settlement Inheritance $1,200 600 2,700 100,000 270,000 110,000 6,900 900 Proceeds from sale of sporting equipment Jan's husband, Marty Hurd, was killed on January 21, 2019, as a result of an automobile accident. The accident was caused by a moving van owned by a national trucking company. As the driver of the van was charged with criminal negligence, Jan filed suit against the company. To avoid a trial and the unfavorable publicity that would result, in March the company reached an out-of-court settlement. The $270,000 that Jan received was designated as follows: $250,000 for personal injury and $20,000 reimbursement for the totaling of the family SUV. The SUV's cost was $40,000, and it was worth $20,000 at the time of the accident. As Jan acted as her own attorney in handling the case, she incurred no legal fees. The insurance proceeds of $100,000 were paid to Jan as designated beneficiary of a policy Marty held on his life. The $110,000 inheritance was what remained of Marty's estate after it was administered and closed by Jan, the executor. Jan was Marty's sole heir. Marty was an ardent sportsman and owned considerable hunting and fishing equipment (e.g., boat, camper, firearms). Since no one in the immediate family has similar interests, Jan sold the equipment (original cost of $21,000) to various friends and neighbors. Jan's expenditures for 2019 are summarized as follows: Medical (all for Harriet's dental implants) Property taxes on personal residence State income tax (including withholdings) Interest on home mortgage Charitable contributions Funeral expenses for Marty $7,500 1,800 3,000 5,700 3,800 4,900 Jan's usual church pledge is S1,900 per year. However, since she had extra funds (e.g., insurance proceeds) in December 2019, she prepaid her pledge for 2020. 1. Calculate Jan's Adjusted Gross Income for 2019. Please provide an explanation for any exclusion from income items. 2. Determine the number of dependents that Jan can claim for 2019. Please indicate if the dependent is a qualifying child or a qualifying relative. 3. Jan prepared her 2019 tax return using the standard deduction. Calculate her 2019 taxable income using the standard deduction. 4. Would you have prepared her tax return any differently, if she had hired you to prepare her tax return? If so, please explain how you may have prepared the tax return differently. Jan C. Hurd is a widow, age 49, who lives at 429 Yucca Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15532. She is employed part-time by several local law firms as a paralegal, She maintains a household that includes the following persons: Peter (age 19), Mary (age 23), Irene (age 24), and Harriet (age 70), Peter is her own son and a full-time student, while Mary and Irene are stepdaughters and college graduates. Harriet is Jan's mother-in-law. Except for Harriet, who receives a modest Social Security benefit, none of these persons receive any income during the year. Jan's receipts for 2019 are summarized below: $71,000 Salary Interest Income Wells Fargo certificate of deposit City of Pittsburgh bonds Caterpillar Corporation bonds Life insurance proceeds Lawsuit settlement Inheritance $1,200 600 2,700 100,000 270,000 110,000 6,900 900 Proceeds from sale of sporting equipment Jan's husband, Marty Hurd, was killed on January 21, 2019, as a result of an automobile accident. The accident was caused by a moving van owned by a national trucking company. As the driver of the van was charged with criminal negligence, Jan filed suit against the company. To avoid a trial and the unfavorable publicity that would result, in March the company reached an out-of-court settlement. The $270,000 that Jan received was designated as follows: $250,000 for personal injury and $20,000 reimbursement for the totaling of the family SUV. The SUV's cost was $40,000, and it was worth $20,000 at the time of the accident. As Jan acted as her own attorney in handling the case, she incurred no legal fees. The insurance proceeds of $100,000 were paid to Jan as designated beneficiary of a policy Marty held on his life. The $110,000 inheritance was what remained of Marty's estate after it was administered and closed by Jan, the executor. Jan was Marty's sole heir. Marty was an ardent sportsman and owned considerable hunting and fishing equipment (e.g., boat, camper, firearms). Since no one in the immediate family has similar interests, Jan sold the equipment (original cost of $21,000) to various friends and neighbors. Jan's expenditures for 2019 are summarized as follows: Medical (all for Harriet's dental implants) Property taxes on personal residence State income tax (including withholdings) Interest on home mortgage Charitable contributions Funeral expenses for Marty $7,500 1,800 3,000 5,700 3,800 4,900 Jan's usual church pledge is S1,900 per year. However, since she had extra funds (e.g., insurance proceeds) in December 2019, she prepaid her pledge for 2020. 1. Calculate Jan's Adjusted Gross Income for 2019. Please provide an explanation for any exclusion from income items. 2. Determine the number of dependents that Jan can claim for 2019. Please indicate if the dependent is a qualifying child or a qualifying relative. 3. Jan prepared her 2019 tax return using the standard deduction. Calculate her 2019 taxable income using the standard deduction. 4. Would you have prepared her tax return any differently, if she had hired you to prepare her tax return? If so, please explain how you may have prepared the tax return differently.