Taxes · Video Lesson
How to Do Taxes — Tax Filing Guide for Beginners
A beginner’s guide to filing federal income taxes. Students learn what documents to gather (W-2, 1099 forms), how to choose a filing status, the difference between deductions and credits, and the three ways to file: tax software, paper return, or a paid preparer. Built to make the first-time tax filing experience less intimidating.
For Teachers
Lesson at a glance
- Topic
- Taxes
- Grade Level
- Grades 9–12 + adult
- Resource Type
- Video Lesson + Worksheet
- Estimated Time
- 45–60 minutes
- Format
- Class discussion + guided practice
- Materials
- Video, worksheet, sample W-2 / 1099 forms, calculator
What Students Learn
Learning objectives
- Explain why income taxes are filed and what the IRS does with the return
- Identify the main income documents (W-2, 1099-MISC, 1099-INT, 1099-DIV, 1098-E)
- Describe the five filing statuses and choose the one that fits a given scenario
- Distinguish a tax deduction (reduces taxable income) from a tax credit (reduces tax owed)
- Compare three ways to file: tax software, paper return, or a paid preparer — with pros and cons of each
- Locate the basic sections of a Form 1040 — income, deductions, credits, tax owed or refund
Video Lesson
Watch: How to Do Taxes — Tax Filing Guide for Beginners
Materials
What you’ll need
- Video and printable quiz worksheet (one per student)
- Sample W-2 and 1099 forms (blank or filled with hypothetical numbers)
- Optional: a blank Form 1040 to walk through structurally
- Calculator and pencil for the guided practice
Key Terms
Vocabulary
- IRS
- The Internal Revenue Service — the federal agency that collects taxes.
- W-2
- The wage statement from an employer that shows your annual earnings and tax withholdings.
- 1099 form
- An income statement for non-employee income — freelance, interest, dividends, etc.
- Filing status
- Single, married filing jointly, married filing separately, head of household, or qualifying widow(er).
- Tax deduction
- An expense that reduces the amount of income you are taxed on.
- Tax credit
- A dollar-for-dollar reduction in the tax you owe — more valuable than a deduction of the same amount.
- Form 1040
- The standard IRS form for individual federal income tax returns.
- Refund
- Money the IRS sends back when you paid more in tax than you owed.
For Teachers
Lesson plan
Estimated time: one 45–60 minute class period.
Lesson sequence
- Warm-up (5 min). Ask: “Who thinks doing taxes is hard? Why?” Take quick responses. Most students assume it is harder than it really is for a simple return.
- Watch the video (8–10 min). Play straight through. Ask students to write down the order of steps the video describes.
- Identify the documents (10 min). Show sample W-2 and 1099 forms. Walk through what each one tells you. Discuss who would receive which form — an employee, a freelance designer, someone with a savings account that paid interest.
- Filing status + deductions vs. credits (10 min). Walk through the five filing statuses with a one-line scenario for each. Then contrast a $1,000 deduction (saves you maybe $120 if you are in the 12%% bracket) vs. a $1,000 credit (saves you a full $1,000).
- Walk a 1040 (10 min). Display a blank Form 1040. Point out the structure: income at the top, deductions, taxable income, tax owed, credits, refund or balance due. Don’t calculate — just orient.
- Three ways to file (5 min). Discuss tax software (most common, often free below a certain income), paper return (rare now), and paid preparer. Mention Free File and VITA for low-income filers.
- Quiz (10 min). Students take the printable 10-question quiz.
- Wrap-up (2 min). Ask: “What is one question you would want a parent, family member, or preparer to help you with the first time you file?”
Activities
- Document scavenger hunt. Give pairs a sample W-2 with specific boxes labeled. They find: wages (Box 1), federal tax withheld (Box 2), Social Security tax (Box 4), Medicare tax (Box 6). Discuss what each line means.
- Choose your filing path. Present 3 short profiles (a 17-year-old with a part-time job, a 23-year-old freelancer with one 1099, a married couple with two W-2s). Students choose which filing method makes sense for each and explain.
- Mock filing. Optional: have students complete a simple mock return using IRS Free File or a sandbox tax-software demo. Discuss the experience afterward.
Assessment
Students complete the 10-question printable quiz. The scavenger hunt and filing-path activity provide additional formative checks.
Extension
- Interview a real filer. Students interview a parent, older sibling, or family friend about the first time they filed their own taxes and what they wish they had known.
- Compare software. Students research two tax-software options (TurboTax, FreeTaxUSA, IRS Direct File, Cash App Taxes, etc.) and compare price, features, and limits.
Note: Money Instructor does not provide tax, legal, or accounting advice. This lesson is for educational purposes only. Tax rules change — always check IRS.gov or consult a tax professional for current information about a specific situation.
Discussion
Discussion questions
- Why does the federal government collect income taxes? What does that revenue pay for?
- What is the difference between a tax deduction and a tax credit? Which is more valuable per dollar?
- Why might a student with a part-time summer job get a refund even though they earned very little?
- What are the pros and cons of using tax software vs. hiring a preparer for a simple return?
- What does it mean that the U.S. has a ‘progressive’ income tax system? Why might that be designed that way?
Printable Quiz
How to Do Taxes — Tax Filing Guide for Beginners — Quiz & Answer Key
10-question multiple choice quiz based on the video. Includes answer key on a separate page for teacher use.
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