Deck 12: Compensation

Question 1

When stock options are exercised they are converted into actual employer stock.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The use of restricted stock is increasing relative to the use of stock options.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

One primary purpose of equity compensation is to motivate employees.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Employees complete a Form W-2 to specify their income tax withholding.

Question 5

On Form W-4,an employee can only claim one allowance for each personal or dependency exemption that will be claimed on the employee's income tax return.

Question 6

An employee can indicate whether they want an additional amount withheld for payroll taxes on the Form W-4.

Question 7

Employers always prefer to award incentive stock options rather than nonqualified stock options.

Question 8

The date on which stock options are given to the employee is called the exercise date.

Question 9

The employee's income for restricted stock is typically measured on the grant date.

Question 10

Employer's expense for stock options is typically recognized earlier for book than tax purposes.

Question 11

Employers receive a deduction for compensation paid to and employment taxes paid on behalf of employees.

Question 12

An employee's income with respect to restricted stock is the fair market value on the vesting date.

Question 13

One purpose of Form W-4 is to determine an employee's withholding.

Question 14

Stock options will always provide employees with future compensation.

Question 15

An employer always receives a deduction for total compensation paid to a CEO.

Question 16

The date on which stock options are no longer subject to forfeiture is called the vesting date.

Question 17

Employers computing taxable income receive a deduction for reasonable salary and wages paid to employees.

Question 18

Current compensation is usually comprised of salary,wages,and bonuses.

Question 19

Employers computing taxable income under the accrual method to unrelated taxpayers may deduct wages accrued as compensation expense in one year and paid in the subsequent year,as long as the company makes the payment within 2½ months after the employer's year-end.

Question 20

Employees will always prefer to receive incentive stock options over nonqualified stock options.

Question 21

Up to $10,000 of dependent care expenses can be excluded from an employee's compensation.

Question 22

Fringe benefits are generally a form of non-cash compensation.

Question 23

Which of the following items is not included on an employee's Form W-2?

A) Taxable wages, tips, and compensation.
B) Social Security withholding.
C) Value of stock options granted during the year.
D) Federal and state income tax withholding.

Question 24

Which of the following statements regarding compensation is false?

A) Wages are usually paid by the hour.
B) Salary is usually a form of fixed compensation.
C) Bonuses are a form of compensation obtained if certain criteria are met.
D) Bonuses paid within 2½ months of year-end are included in employee's compensation in the year they were earned.

Question 25

Qualified employee discounts allow employees to purchase employer goods at a discount.

Question 26

Employers sometimes pay a "gross-up" to employees to cover taxes associated with taxable fringe benefits they provide.

Question 27

Which of the following forms is filled out by an employee,who is a citizen,at the beginning of an employment relationship?

A) Form Q-2.
B) Form W-2.
C) Form W-4.
D) Form 1099.

Question 28

Up to $5,250 of educational benefits can be excluded from an employee's compensation.

Question 29

If certain conditions are met,an apartment manager can exclude the fair market value of free rent from his or her income.

Question 30

Employers cannot discriminate between highly and non-highly compensated employees when providing taxable fringe benefits.

Question 31

A cafeteria plan provides employees discounted meals at a company sponsored dining room.

Question 32

Cornhusker Bank reimburses employees for dues to the local banker's association.The reimbursement is includible in the employee's income.

Question 33

Flexible spending accounts allow employees to set aside before-tax dollars for medical and dependent care expenses.

Question 34

Taxable fringe benefits include automobile allowances,gym memberships,and personal use tickets to the theatre or sporting events.

Question 35

Employees may exclude from income items such as occasional theatre tickets,t-shirts,or a Thanksgiving turkey.

Question 36

A section 83(b)election freezes the value of restricted stock for compensation purposes on the vesting date.

Question 37

Hotel employees can receive free nights lodging on a space available basis without incurring compensation.

Question 38

Group-term life insurance is a fringe benefit that can be partially taxable and partially tax free.

Question 39

Health insurance is an example of a nontaxable fringe benefit.

Question 40

For 2017,up to $300 of qualified transportation fringe benefits can be excluded from income.

Question 41

How is the bargain element for a stock option calculated?

A) The difference between the strike price and the market price on the date of grant.
B) The difference between the market price on the exercise date and the market price on the date of grant.
C) The difference between the market price on the exercise date and the strike price.
D) The difference between the market price on the sale date and the strike price.

Question 42

Which of the following statements regarding restricted stock is false?

A) Like stock options, restricted stock has to vest before it can be sold.
B) Like nonqualified stock options, the employee's income inclusion for restricted stock is the bargain element.
C) Even if the value of restricted stock decreases from the price on the grant date, it retains some value to the employee.
D) There is no effective tax planning elections for restricted stock.

Question 43

Bad Brad received 20 NQOs (each option gives him the right to purchase 30 shares of stock for $12 per share)from his employer.At the time he started working,the stock price was $11 per share.Now that the share price is $25 per share,he exercises all of the options.Two years later Bad Brad sells the stock for $27 per share.What is Bad Brad's basis in his stock for purposes of calculating the gain or loss at the time of the sale?

A) $7,200.
B) $7,800.
C) $15,000.
D) $16,200.

Question 44

Maren received 10 NQOs (each option gives her the right to purchase 10 shares of stock for $8 per share)at the time she started working when the stock price was $6 per share.When the share price was $15 per share,she exercised all of her options.Eighteen months later she sold all of the shares for $20 per share.What is the amount of Maren's bargain element?

A) $0.
B) $700.
C) $900.
D) $1,500.
E) None of the choices are correct.

Question 45

Which of the following is true regarding stock options?

A) A loss is realized when stock options lapse.
B) There is typically no tax effect on the grant date.
C) Income recognized on the exercise date is greater for incentive stock options than nonqualified options.
D) The bargain element on a nonqualified option is taxed to employees at capital gain rates.

Question 46

Which of the following statements is true regarding the $1,000,000 limit on covered employees for publicly-traded companies?

A) The limitation applies to all employees.
B) The limitation applies to all officers.
C) The limitation applies only to the CEO and three other highest compensated officers.
D) The limitation applies only to the CEO and three other highest compensated officers, not including the CFO.

Question 47

Tom recently received 2,000 shares of restricted stock from his employer,Independence Corporation,when the share price was $10 per share.Tom's restricted shares vested three years later when the market price was $14.Tom held the shares for a little more than a year and sold them when the market price was $12.What is the amount of Tom's income or loss on the sale?

A) $0.
B) $2,000 loss.
C) $4,000 gain.
D) $4,000 loss.

Question 48

Which of the following is false regarding a section 83(b)election?

A) The election freezes the value of the employee's compensation as of the grant date.
B) The election is an important tax planning tool if the stock is expected to increase in value.
C) The election must be made within 30 days of the grant date.
D) If an employee leaves before the vesting date, any loss is limited to $3,000.

Question 49

Which of the following isn't reported on the Form W-2?

A) The employee's taxable salary and wages.
B) Annual Federal and state withholding information.
C) Indication as to whether an employee had more than one employer during the year.
D) Annual amount of Social Security and Medicare tax withholding information.

Question 50

Maren received 10 NQOs (each option gives her the right to purchase 10 shares of stock for $8 per share)at the time she started working when the stock price was $6 per share.When the share price was $15 per share,she exercised all of her options.Eighteen months later she sold all of the shares for $20 per share.How much gain will Maren recognize on the sale of the shares and how much tax will she pay assuming her marginal tax rate is 39.6 percent?

A) $0 gain and $0 tax.
B) $500 gain and $100 tax.
C) $500 gain and $175 tax.
D) $1,200 gain and $180 tax.

Question 51

When a publicly-traded CEO's salary exceeds $1,000,000,the employee ________ taxed on the entire amount,and the employer ________ allowed a deduction on the entire amount.

A) is; is
B) is; is not
C) is not; is
D) is not; is not

Question 52

Which of the items is not correct regarding withholding?

A) Employees that also have self-employment income can have additional amounts of federal tax withheld to avoid estimated tax payments.
B) Employees cannot claim an allowance for a child unless they are entitled to claim the child as a dependent.
C) Employees can claim exempt status and avoid withholding.
D) Married employees can choose to have income tax withholding on wages withheld at the higher single rates.

Question 53

Which of the following pairs of items is not needed to calculate the after-tax proceeds for a same-day sale?

A) Strike price and market price on exercise date.
B) Strike price and market price on grant date.
C) Market price on sale date and market price on exercise date.
D) Market price on sale date and marginal tax rate.

Question 54

Stevie recently received 1,000 shares of restricted stock from her employer,Nicks Corporation,when the share price was $8 per share.Stevie's restricted shares vested three years later when the market price was $11.Stevie held the shares for a little more than a year and sold them when the market price was $16.What is the amount of Stevie's ordinary income with respect to the restricted stock?

A) $0.
B) $5,000.
C) $8,000.
D) $11,000.

Question 55

Tom recently received 2,000 shares of restricted stock from his employer,Independence Corporation,when the share price was $10 per share.Tom's restricted shares vested three years later when the market price was $14.Tom held the shares for a little more than a year and sold them when the market price was $20.What is the amount of Tom's income or loss on the vesting date?

A) $0.
B) $10,000.
C) $20,000.
D) $28,000.

Question 56

Aharon exercises 10 stock options awarded several years ago.The following information pertains to the options: (1)each option gives the employee the right to buy 10 shares,(2)the market price on the grant date was $7,(3)the strike price is $10,and (4)the market price on the exercise date was $15.How much will it cost Aharon to purchase the options on the exercise date?

A) $90.
B) $500.
C) $700.
D) $1,000.

Question 57

Which of the following statements regarding income tax withholding is incorrect?

A) The withholding tables are designed so that employee withholding approximates the tax liability.
B) Large itemized deductions require the need for additional withholding.
C) The withholding tables vary based on filing status.
D) Extra allowances can be claimed and reduce withholding.

Question 58

Which of the following regarding the Form W-4 is incorrect?

A) Determines an employee's income tax withholding.
B) Employees can claim more allowances than personal exemptions that will be claimed.
C) Employees can specify additional amounts to be withheld each month.
D) The form can only be adjusted at the beginning of year or start of employment.

Question 59

Which of the following refers to the date stock options are awarded to an employee?

A) Grant date.
B) Exercise date.
C) Lapse date.
D) Vesting date.

Question 60

Which of the following is not a purpose of equity-based compensation?

A) Provide both risk and incentives to employees.
B) Motivate employees by aligning employee and employer incentives.
C) Avoid compensation limits for certain publicly-traded company executives.
D) Provides a low or no cost form of compensation.

Question 61

Which of the following statements regarding employer provided educational benefits is true?

A) All undergraduate tuition expenses can be excluded.
B) Only educational benefits from public universities can be excluded.
C) Up to $5,250 in tuition benefits can be excluded.
D) All graduate tuition expenses are included.

Question 62

Grace's employer is now offering group-term life insurance.The company will provide each employee with $200,000 of group-term life insurance.It costs Grace's employer $700 to provide this amount of insurance to Grace each year.Assuming that Grace is 43 years old,use the table to determine the monthly premium that Grace must include in income as a result of receiving the group-term life benefit. EXHIBIT 12-10 Uniform Premiums for $1,000 of Group-Term Life Insurance Protection
$$\begin{array} { l c } 5 - \text { Year Age Bracket } & \text { Cost per \$1,000 of Protection for One Month } \\\text { Under } 25 & \$ 0.05 \\25 \text { to } 29 & 0.06 \\30 \text { to } 34 & 0.08 \\35 \text { to } 39 & 0.09 \\40 \text { to } 44 & 0.10 \\45 \text { to } 49 & 0.15 \\50 \text { to } 54 & 0.23 \\55 \text { to } 59 & 0.43 \\60 \text { to } 64 & 0.66 \\65 \text { to } 69 & 1.27 \\70 \text { and above } & 2.06\end{array}$$

A) $0.
B) $15.00.
C) $22.00.
D) $58.33.

Question 63

Francis works for a local fly fishing shop.The shop allows employees to purchase two fly rods per year at a discount.This year,Francis purchased one rod.The rod normally retails for $300,was purchased for $225,was sold to Francis for $250,and the employer's average gross profit percentage is 30 percent.What amount of the discount must be included in Francis' income?

A) $0.
B) $25.
C) $40.
D) Some other amount.

Question 64

Tanya's employer offers a cafeteria plan that allows employees to choose among a number of benefits.Each employee is allowed $6,000 in benefits.For 2017,Tanya selected $3,300 ($275 per month)of parking,$2,200 in 401(k)contributions,and $800 of cash.How much must Tanya include in taxable income?

A) $0.
B) $1,040.
C) $1,120.
D) $4,000.

Question 65

Which of the following is not a requirement of a "qualified employee discount"?

A) The discount relates to goods or services of the employer.
B) The discount on services doesn't exceed 20 percent of the price offered to customers.
C) The discount can be elected up to five times annually.
D) The employee discount on goods is not greater than employer's average gross profit.

Question 66

Which of the following benefits cannot be excluded as a no additional cost service fringe benefit?

A) Free tax return preparation from a client.
B) Complementary dry cleaning for employees at a laundry company.
C) A car wash at an automobile dealership.
D) Free local phone service for phone company employees.

Question 67

Which of the following statements concerning cafeteria plans is true?

A) Allows employees to choose from a menu of fringe benefits or to choose cash.
B) Most of the menu choices are nontaxable fringe benefits.
C) Any receipt of cash option that is elected is treated at taxable compensation.
D) All of the statements are true.

Question 68

Which of the following is false regarding dependent care expenses?

A) Up to $5,000 of reimbursed expenses can qualify.
B) Employers may discriminate among employees.
C) Dependent children under 13 qualify.
D) Spouses who are physically or mentally unable to care for themselves qualify.

Question 69

Which of the following is not an example of a nontaxable fringe benefit?

A) Monthly employer provided transit benefit of $100.
B) Group-term life insurance policy providing $100,000 of coverage.
C) Employer provided parking of $100 per month.
D) Qualified employee discounts.

Question 70

Big Bucks,a publicly-traded corporation,paid its CEO $1,500,000 of base compensation for the year.What is the after-tax cost of paying the salary assuming a 30 percent marginal tax rate?

Question 71

Lara,a single taxpayer with a 30 percent marginal tax rate,desires health insurance.The health insurance would cost Lara $5,000 to purchase if she pays for it herself (Lara's AGI is too high to receive any tax deduction for the insurance as a medical expense).Lara's employer has a 40 percent marginal tax rate.Ignoring payroll taxes,what is the maximum amount of before-tax salary Lara would give up to receive health insurance? (Round your answer to the nearest whole number)

A) $1,500.
B) $5,000.
C) $7,143.
D) $8,333.

Question 72

Kevin is the financial manager of Levingston BMW.The shop allows employees to purchase up to two vehicles at a discount.Levingston's average gross profit percentage is 15%.This year Kevin purchased a 530 model and a new M3. $$\begin{array} { c c c c } \text { Model } & \text { FMV } & \text { Dealer cost } & \text { Employee Price } \\530 & \$ 63,000 & \$ 50,000 & \$ 54,000 \\\text { M3 } & \$ 10,000 & \$ 60,000 & \$ 57,000\end{array}$$ What amount must Kevin include in income?

A) $0.
B) $2,500.
C) $2,950.
D) $22,000.

Question 73

Stevie recently received 1,000 shares of restricted stock from her employer,Nicks Corporation,when the share price was $8 per share.Stevie's restricted shares vested three years later when the market price was $11.Stevie held the shares for a little more than a year and sold them when the market price was $16.Assuming Stevie made a section 83(b)election,what is the amount of Stevie's ordinary income with respect to the restricted stock?

A) $0.
B) $5,000.
C) $8,000.
D) $11,000.

Question 74

Which of the following is not an example of a taxable fringe benefit?

A) Personal use of corporate jet.
B) $1,000,000 group term life insurance policy.
C) $225 of employer provided parking.
D) Automobile allowance.

Question 75

Rachel receives employer provided health insurance.The employer's cost of the health insurance is $6,000 annually.What is her employer's after-tax cost of providing the health insurance,assuming that the employer's marginal tax rate is 35 percent and is profitable?

A) $0.
B) $3,900.
C) $4,198.
D) $6,000.

Question 76

Which of the following is a fringe benefit that employers can discriminate among employees?

A) No additional cost service.
B) Qualified employee discount.
C) Qualified transportation fringe.
D) Employee educational assistance.

Question 77

Bonnie's employer provides her with an annual dinner club membership costing $5,000.Her marginal tax rate is 25 percent.Her employer has a marginal tax rate of 35 percent.What is Bonnie's after-tax benefit?

A) $0.
B) $1,250.
C) $3,750.
D) $5,000.

Question 78

Leesburg paid its employee $200,000 of compensation for the year.What is the after-tax cost of paying the salary assuming a 30 percent marginal tax rate (ignore payroll taxes)?

Question 79

Which of the following does not qualify as a "for the convenience of the employer" nontaxable fringe benefit?

A) The fair market value of the rent of an apartment manager living on the premises.
B) An overtime meal provided to an employee while working late.
C) A meal provided by a hospital to residents during their shift.
D) A company picnic.

Question 80

Tasha receives reimbursement from her employer for dependent care expenses for up to $8,000.Tasha applies for and receives reimbursement of $6,000 for her 10-year-old son.How much,if any,is includible in her income?

A) $0.
B) $1,000.
C) $3,000.
D) $6,000.