Students learn the fundamentals of federal income taxation, with emphasis on the ways in which the tax law develops through the interaction of congressional policy, administrative interpretation and judicial decision. After a brief examination of federal tax policy, the course covers such basic concepts as the nature of income, deductions, accounting for the taxable year and capital gains. This is a basic course designed to provide students with the tax background that they will need in any legal field. It is a prerequisite for advanced tax courses and some advanced business law courses.