Federal
Withholdings & Paychecks
Forms
Filing
Terms
100

You are starting your first job and you are asked to complete some paperwork on your first day. Which form will determine how much money is withheld from your paycheck for federal and state income taxes?

  1. W-2

  2. W-4

  3. I-9

  4. 1040

W-4

100

What does the term "withholding" mean in reference to your paycheck?

  • It is the amount of your paycheck that you are NOT being taxed on. 

  • It is how much is being taken out of your paycheck in taxes. 

  • It is how much you are going to owe the government when you file your annual tax return. 

  • It is how much you earn and includes salary, bonus and commissions. 

It is how much is being taken out of your paycheck in taxes

100

Why should you accurately complete a W-4 form any time you start a new job or change your tax status?

  1. You need a copy of your W-4 to file your tax return annually

  2. Your W-4 determines how much Federal income tax money your employer should withhold

  3. Your W-4 determines your total tax bill at the end of the year

  4. Completing a W-4 will guarantee you receive a large tax refund

 

Your W-4 determines how much Federal income tax money your employer should withhold

100

True or False: You need a W-2 form only for filing your federal taxes, not your state taxes.

False

100

What is it called when someone you financially support who can be "claimed" on a tax return to reduce your taxable income and lower your taxes

Dependent 

200

Which of the following have typically been the three largest categories of federal government spending?

  1. Infrastructure, Defense, and Science

  2. Health, Military, and Interest on Debt 

  3. Veterans, Infrastructure, and Education 

  4. Education, Defense, and Food/Agriculture

 

Health, Military, and Interest on Debt

200

Which of the following paycheck withholdings puts money into a retirement investment fund that you will manage?

  1. Social Security
  2. Medicare
  3. 401(k) contribution
  4. Federal income taxes

401(k) contribution

200

Why is it important to be extremely careful when completing your 1040 form?

  1. Making even one mistake on your federal taxes can result in your being convicted of a crime

  2. The 1040 form determines whether you owe additional taxes or are entitled to receive a refund from the government

  3. Completing the 1040 incorrectly will mean the wrong amount of taxes will be withheld from your paychecks going forward

  4. Mistakes on your 1040 form make you ineligible for employment during the next year

 

The 1040 form determines whether you owe additional taxes or are entitled to receive a refund from the government

200

Which of the statements below is TRUE about filing your taxes, assuming your only income comes from the salary you earn at BigTech Company?

  1. You need to file your tax return by the end of the calendar year (typically December 31st)

  2. If your employer takes out federal income taxes through payroll withholdings, you do not need to file a tax return

  3. You must file your tax return by the deadline (typically April 15th of the following year) or request an extension by that date

  4. You do not need to pay any income taxes until April 15th, so you should ask your company to wait until after that date to withhold any money

You must file your tax return by the deadline (typically April 15th of the following year) or request an extension by that date

200

What is a government-run insurance program that provides healthcare assistance to low income Americans

Medicaid

300

When determining whether you NEED to file a federal tax return, each of these questions matters EXCEPT…

  1. How much income did you earn this year?
  2. What type of income did you earn this year?
  3. What state do you live in?
  4. Are you claimed as a dependent on anyone else's tax return?

What state do you live in?

300

Which statement about filing a tax return is FALSE? 

  1. It is the amount of your paycheck that you are NOT being taxed on.
  2. It is how much is being taken out of your paycheck in taxes.
  3. It is how much you are going to owe the government when you file your annual tax return.
  4. It is how much you earn and includes salary, bonus and commissions.

It is how much is being taken out of your paycheck in taxes.

300

What form am I? I am received when you start a job. You use me to prove that you are eligible to work in the U.S., and you must provide forms of identification when submitting me.

  1. I-9
  2. 1099
  3. 1040
  4. W-4

I-9

300

Your friend Laila is talking to you about the benefits of tax filing software. Which of the following is true?

  1. Filing your taxes using the software is always free of charge.  
  2. You can avoid the costs of having to pay a professional, though you may have to pay for the software and/or e-filing online.
  3. You are guaranteed a higher refund than if you were to use a paper form or hire a professional.
  4. You are 50% less likely to make a mistake when e-filing your taxes than if you were to file them using paper forms.

You can avoid the costs of having to pay a professional, though you may have to pay for the software and/or e-filing online.

300

A government-run insurance program that provides healthcare assistance to elderly and disabled Americans

Medicare

400

List two things the federal government spends your tax dollars on that you benefit from.

[Answers may vary] Below are a few examples

  • Clean air and water
  • Maintenance of streets and roads
  • National Parks
  • Public libraries
400

Identify two deductions you will see on your pay stub.

  • Medicare (FICA)
  • Social Security (FICA)
  • Federal Income Tax
  • State Income Tax
  • Employer health plan
  • Employer 401(k)


400

Which of the following statements about the W-2 form is TRUE?

  1. A W-2 lists all the money you earned in cash over the last year
  2. The total wages you earned from ALL jobs you worked in the previous year appear on ONE W-2 form
  3. You need a separate W-2 form from EACH of your employers in order to file your taxes
  4. The W-2 includes information about the interest you earned from your investments

You need a separate W-2 form from EACH of your employers in order to file your taxes

400

What is the deadline to file your tax return?

April 15th of the following year

400

What document is attached to every paycheck that details your earnings and the amount withheld for taxes, health insurance, retirement funds, etc.

Paycheck Stub 

500

Juanita has a part-time job that pays $12/hour and works about 50 hours every month. Her withholdings are Social Security (6.2%), Medicare (1.45%) and federal income tax (10%). What is her approximate net pay?

$500

500

Marquis is starting a fast food job during his senior year of high school. He lives with his parents and they will claim him as a dependent on their taxes this year. He earns $2000. Based on how he completed his W-4, his employer withheld $200 in federal income taxes from his paychecks. What will happen if Marquis doesn't file taxes in April?

  1. The IRS will refund his $200 directly to him.
  2. The IRS will refund his $200 to his parents.
  3. The IRS will fine Marquis $75 or more for not filing taxes.
  4. Nothing will happen, but Marquis will miss out on his potential refund.

Nothing will happen, but Marquis will miss out on his potential refund.

500

Ray worked at a cafe while he was a college senior in Boston, Massachusetts. After graduating in June, he moved back to his home in California and started a full-time job in September. Which of the following statements is true?

  1. Ray will need to file only a federal tax return.
  2. Ray will need to file a federal tax return and a state tax return for Massachusetts.
  3. Ray will need to file a federal tax return and a state tax return for both Massachusetts and California.
  4. Ray will need to file a federal tax return this year and file state returns the following year.

Ray will need to file a federal tax return and a state tax return for both Massachusetts and California.

500

Give two reasons for why someone would go to a tax professional (rather than using tax filing software or using the paper forms) to file his/her tax return.

  • Their filing status may have changed (e.g. From married to divorced, single to married, etc)
  • They may not be comfortable doing their taxes on their own
  • They may not have the time to do their own taxes
  • They have a lot of questions about how to do their taxes and need to refer to a professional


500

A range of income amounts that are taxed at a particular rate

Tax Bracket