IRS website Designed to Help Students Understand the U.S. Tax System

The IRS has announced the addition of a new educational site for high school and other students on its website 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 website can be accessed by clicking on “Individuals,” then “Students,” and then “Understanding Taxes,” or by going directly to:

http://www.irs.gov/app/understandingTaxes/index.jsp.

The new website combines three educational kits into a single resource center and 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 website 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” (TAXI) are available in both the student and educator sections.

The website 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 website 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 website at www.irs.gov.

If you would like any further information regarding this issue as well as any other tax related issue, contact Henssler Financial at 770-429-9166 or experts@henssler.com.

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