Customer Reviews

Emanuel Law Outlines Basic Federal Income Tax

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The outline was very helpful--tax is just a difficult subject to master. I used the book as a supplement to my text book. You certainly cannot use only the outline and expect to learn federal income tax well. It is an invaluable resource when used to help reinforce a concept. Also, when I did not understand a concept the outline was great because it generally used easier terms and examples to explain the bare bones of a subject. Once I understood the outline's explanation, it was much easier to understand my text book.

This commercial outline is terrible as an introduction to federal income tax. It takes FOREVER to find basic definitions, such as the distinction between ordinary income and capital assets. Without an understanding of these definitions, you won't understand anything in the book, yet the author fails to make the definitions clear.

For example, I first went to the capsule summary to find the definition of "capital asset" and then found that I had to turn to another section of the book. When I turned to that page, I found that I had to turn a couple more pages to find only PART of the definition of "capital asset" and then I had to turn to yet another section of the book, no pages provided by the author this time, to get the rest of the definition.

To make a long story short, the organization of this book makes no sense at all. If you already understand federal income tax, this commercial outline might be useful as a review. Otherwise, if you're taking tax only because you feel obligated by the requirements of your bar exam, then perhaps another commerical outline is better.

To this day, I believe in my heart that the ONLY reason I passed tax was due to this book, and the "Law in a Flash" cards that the company also sells. This book will not replace tax class or BarBri, but for people like me-- Con Law lawyers, nonbusiness-- it can be the difference between passing and failing, it boils down the information into usable chapters and outlines.

I usually like the Emanuel outlines and have found them invaluable now for eight other courses I've taken. The Taxation outline is an exception. I forced myself through the first five chapters in this book and then gave up on it, realizing that it was not adding to my general understanding of the course material or any of the little details either, for that matter. It was too hard to read and follow to be of help.

This book is helpful and well organized like the other Emanuels. The questions at the end of each chapter are good. But, the book was published in 2005 and a lot has changed, making it obsolete in many areas. Beware! (and time for a new edition!).

This is just about as good as the other emanuel outlines, but income tax is a diificult subject to outline.

It's a mediocre tax law outline--simply put. Buy it used, if at all.