J.K. Lasser′s Your Income Tax 2018

J.K. Lasser Institute has been the premier publisher of consumer tax guides since 1939, when Jacob Kay Lasser first published Your Income Tax. Since then, the guide has been published continuously for over sixty years and read by over 39,000,000 people. The J.K. Lasser Institute also publishes several personal finance books such as Small Business Taxes and 1001 Deductions and Tax Breaks. J.K. Lasser Institute spokespeople are regularly sought after as media tax experts. They regularly appear on such broadcast programs as CNBC, CNN, and Bloomberg TV. They are also often featured in numerous periodicals, including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Self Magazine, The New York Times, Newsweek and Reader's Digest.

Legislative Alert for 2018 xxvii


What s New for 2017 xxix


Key Tax Numbers for 2017 xxxiii


Filing Basics 1


Reporting Your Income 33


Fringe Benefits 52


Dividend and Interest Income 75


Reporting Property Sales 101


Tax-Free Exchanges of Property 146


Retirement and Annuity Income 161


IRAs 197


Income From Real Estate Rentals and Royalties 243


Loss Restrictions: Passive Activities and At-Risk Limits 260


Other Income 288


Claiming Deductions 311


Claiming the Standard Deduction or Itemized Deductions 322


Charitable Contribution Deductions 330


Itemized Deduction for Interest Expenses 354


Deductions for Taxes 371


Medical and Dental Expense Deductions 378


Casualty and Theft Losses and Involuntary Conversions 396


Deducting Job Costs and Other Miscellaneous Expenses 421


Travel and Entertainment Expense Deductions 435


Personal Exemptions 461


Personal Tax Computations 475


Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) 481


Computing the Kiddie Tax on Your Child s Investment Income 489


Personal Tax Credits Reduce Your Tax Liability 495


Tax Withholdings 516


Estimated Tax Payments 523


Additional Medicare Tax and Net Investment Income Tax 529


Tax Savings for Residence Sales 537


Tax Rules for Investors in Securities 552


Tax Savings for Investors in Real Estate 568


Tax Rules for Investors in Mutual Funds 581


Educational Tax Benefi ts 590


Special Tax Rules for Senior Citizens and the Disabled 609


Members of the Armed Forces 621


Planning Alimony and Marital Settlements 639


Other Taxes 646


Gift and Estate Tax Planning Basics 654


Business Tax Planning 663


Retirement and Medical Plans for Self-Employed 693


Claiming Depreciation Deductions 703


Deducting Car and Truck Expenses 720


Sales of Business Property 734


Figuring Self-Employment Tax 741


Filing Your Return and What Happens When You File 749


Filing Refund Claims, and Amended Returns 759


If the IRS Examines Your Return 763


GLOSSARY 965


INDEX 971