Tax Glossary

Generally, the home in which an individual lives for most of the year.

Generally, the age set by an employer at which an employee must retire.

A legal union between a man and a woman as husband and wife. For federal income tax purposes, this definition supersedes any state definitions.

The satisfaction of one of several tests used to determine that a trade or business is not a passive activity. Generally, material participation in an activity includes being involved in its operations on a regular, continuous, and substantial basis during the year.

Amounts paid for the diagnosis, cure, relief, treatment, or prevention of disease and for treatments affecting any part or function of the body. The medical care expenses must be primarily to relieve or prevent a physical or mental defect or illness.

The smallest amount that must be distributed from a qualified plan to prevent an additional tax on excess accumulation. Also called a required minimum distribution.

Generally, the earliest age at which a taxpayer can first receive a pension or an annuity if they are not disabled.

An individual who is duly ordained, commissioned, or licensed by a religious body constituting a church or church denomination. They are given the authority to conduct religious worship, perform sacerdotal functions, and administer ordinances or sacraments according to the prescribed tenets and practices of that church or denomination. If a church or denomination ordains some ministers and licenses or commissions others, anyone licensed or commissioned must be able to perform substantially all the religious functions of an ordained minister to be treated as a minister for Social Security purposes.

Services performed in the exercise of the taxpayer's ministry or in the exercise of the taxpayer's duties as required by their religious order.

The name given to tax rules relating to recovering, through depreciation deductions, the basis of most business and investment property placed in service after 1986.

Adjusted gross income that is modified to meet the requirements of a specific tax item. Modifications are specific for each tax item that uses MAGI.

A legal document an individual signs when they borrow money and put real estate up as collateral to protect the interests of the lender.

A written agreement indicating which taxpayer can claim the dependent exemption for an individual when two or more qualifying taxpayers together provide more than half of the individual's support and individually provide more than 10% of the individual's support.