Which of the Following Taxpayers Can Claim a Business Bad

question 5

Multiple Choice

Which of the following taxpayers can claim a business bad debt deduction for the current year? Sylvia lent her neighbor $4,000 to put a new roof on his home. Because they have been I. II. friends for over 15 years, Sylvia trusted her neighbor to pay her back and didn't make him sign a note with interest. The neighbor has left town and Sylvia will not get any of her money back. Her loss is properly related to this year using the cash basis of accounting. Saul is an attorney using the cash basis of accounting. One of his clients is short of money to pay the utilities in the office building Saul rents from him. Saul advances the client $5,000. Saul has just learned that the client has filed bankruptcy and that Saul will not be repaid for any part of the loan.

• A) Only statement I is correct.
• B) Only statement II is correct.
• C) Both statements are correct.
• D) Neither statement is correct.

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Definitions:

Credit Enhancements

Strategies or financial products used to improve the credit worthiness of a financial transaction, reducing the risk for investors.

Warrants

Call options issued by a company allowing the holder to buy a stated number of shares of stock from a company at a specified price. Warrants are generally distributed with debt, or preferred stock, to induce investors to buy those securities at a lower cost.

Option

A contract that gives its holder the right to buy or sell an asset at some predetermined price within a specified period of time.

Sweetener

A feature that makes a security more attractive to some investors, thereby inducing them to accept a lower current yield. Convertible features and warrants are examples of sweeteners.