Taxes Activities
MATH: Income Tax Brackets
In this activity, students will be able to:
- Calculate taxable income
- Analyze a tax bracket table
- Calculate total tax based on gross income
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
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: TurboTax Simulation
In this activity, students will be able to:
- Experience what it is like to file a tax return for a fictional person using Intuit Education's TurboTax simulation
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: What Affects How Much We 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 (salary, state of residence, cost of living) can affect the amount of taxes owed and how much you have leftover to spend
- Available in English & Spanish
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
FINE PRINT: W-2 Form
In this activity students will be able to:
- Understand the W-2 Form and what information is captured on it
- Understand how the information from the W-2 can be used to file income taxes
FINE PRINT: W-4 Form
In this activity students will be able to:
- Understand the W-4 Form and what information is captured on it
- Understand how the information from the W-4 form impacts income tax withheld from a paycheck
PLAY: 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
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
