This lesson is designed to teach tax preparers the difference between taxable and nontaxable income and how to report income on a tax return.

Forms discussed in this lesson include:

• Forms 1040EZ, 1040A, and 1040
  
• Form W-2 and Form 4852
  
• Forms 1099-INT, 1099-DIV, 1099-G, 1099-R, and 1099-Q

Taxpayers may arrive at the VITA/TCE site without all of the Forms 1099 that they received. In some of these cases, a taxpayer may not have his/her copy of a Form 1099 available but knows the reportable income amount. In these cases, report the income on the appropriate line of the return as explained in the subsequent income lessons in Link & Learn Taxes. If a taxpayer cannot accurately determine the reportable income amount, advise him/her to contact the payer of the income to get the missing information. You can also refer to Publication 4012, Volunteer Resource Guide for helpful tips on interviewing taxpayers.

NOTE: In this lesson, you'll be asked to calculate answers for several practice questions. You may want to have a calculator on hand for assistance.