The IRS has announced the addition of a new educational site for high school and other students on its web site at www.irs.gov called "Understanding Taxes." The Internet-based, interactive program replaces print materials that were previously provided to teachers annually by the IRS in order to offer them more flexibility in a modern format. The web site can be accessed by clicking on "Individuals," then "Students," and then "Understanding Taxes," or by going directly to:
www.irs.gov/app/understandingTaxes/index.jsp.
The new web site, which combines three educational kits into a single resource center, includes lessons on the nation's history of taxation, tax return preparation, and the economics of taxation. The lessons are correlated to both national and state educational standards and curriculum areas.
The web site is divided into two sections for students and educators. Tutorials are provided to guide students through the basics of tax preparation and to introduce them to the concept of electronic filing. Student lessons include word puzzles, tax trivia questions, story problems, and examples of how and why taxes affect and influence our daily lives. The section designated for educators includes detailed lesson plans, along with numerous interactive student activities, student assessments and presentations.
Programs such as tax trivia, "VITA e3" (a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program emphasizing electronic filing for schools), and "Tax Interactive," which is also referred to as "TAXI," are available in both the student and educator sections.
The web site conforms to the accessibility requirements of section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and allows sight-impaired users to engage in the same activities as other students. Where activities require the use of "drag-n-drop" capability, the same activities are available for sight-impaired users in an appropriate format.
This web site development is very helpful in teaching students the basics of our income tax system, and also a valuable tool for teachers. For more information, please visit the IRS web site at www.irs.gov. For more information call The Henssler Financial Group Tax & Accounting Division at 770-428-4025.
