Taxes Activities
ANALYZE: Should They File a Tax Return?
In this activity, students will be able to:
- Analyze 10 different scenarios and determine if the person in each scenario is legally required to file a tax return
- Explain the benefits of filing a tax return even if they are not legally required to
- Understand who can be claimed as a dependent
MOVE: Your Tax Dollar in Action
In this activity, students will be able to:
- Learn how their federal tax dollars are spent using a fun, out-of-their seats whole-class race challenge
INTERACTIVE: Check Your Tax Rate from 1913 - 2012
In this activity, students will be able to:
- Learn how tax rates are related to income
- Observe the change in tax rate over time
- Analyze aspects of the interactive to understand how different variables affect tax rate
CALCULATE: Completing a 1040 (Sp)
In this activity, students will be able to:
- Complete a 1040 form for individuals with a variety of backgrounds and personal situations (dependent vs. independent, part-time vs. full-time, etc.)
- Available in English & Spanish
CALCULATE: How Allowances Affect Your Taxes (Sp)
In this activity, students will be able to:
- Describe the relationship between the number of allowances they claim on their W-4 and the size of their tax refund (or taxes owed)
- Available in English & Spanish
CALCULATE: How Much Do I Pay in Taxes? (Sp)
In this activity, students will be able to:
- Determine the taxes due for a variety of different people
- Explain how certain factors (state of residence, cost of living) can affect the amount of taxes owed
- Available in English & Spanish
CALCULATE: Your Tax Due
In this activity, students will be able to:
- Calculate their taxable income
- Calculate their tax due
- Create a paycheck stub
CARTOONS: Tax Deductions
In this activity, students will be able to:
- Examine a number of cartoons about tax deductions and choose one to analyze in more depth
- Explain the cartoon's key message about tax deductions and how it depicts that message
COMPARE: Tax Forms and their Purpose (Sp)
In this activity, students will be able to:
- Identify the purpose of a variety of tax forms, including the W-2, W-4, 1099, 1040, and I-9
- Available in English & Spanish
RESEARCH: The Tax Cycle (Sp)
In this activity, students will be able to:
- List important dates in the yearly tax cycle
- Describe the event that takes place on each date in the tax cycle
- Available in English & Spanish
