Tax School Practice Test

A taxpayer is not able to exclude a reward from a crime hotline from their taxable income when they are an employee of the hotline. This is because income received by employees or individuals acting in their capacity as employees is considered earned income and is fully taxable. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires employees to report their earnings as part of their compensation, and rewards from a hotline, which are tied to the individual’s employment, fall under this category.

For other taxpayer situations, such as nonresidents, part-year residents, or those filing separately, there are often specific circumstances or tax treatments that might allow for different considerations of their income, but generally speaking, the ability to exclude income typically does not pertain to the employment context where compensation, including rewards, must be reported fully.