Glossary of Tax Terms

Qualified Adoption Expenses

For the adoption credit, reasonable and necessary expenses for adopting your child, including such expenses as adoption fees, attorney fees, and other expenses, but not including expenses paid for a surrogate parenting arrangement or expenses paid to adopt your spouse's child.

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Qualified Electric Vehicle

A vehicle that meets all of the following IRS requirements:

• It must have at least four wheels and be manufactured primarily for use on public streets, roads, and highways.
• It must be powered mainly by an electric motor drawing current from rechargeable batteries, fuel cells, or other portable sources of electrical current.
• You must be the first person to use it (you cannot buy it used).
• You must have acquired it for your own use and not for resale.

For more details, see "Credit for Electric Vehicles" in IRS Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax.

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Qualified Retirement Plan

A retirement plan approved by the IRS that allows for tax-deferred accumulation of investment income. Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA), Keogh plans, and pensions are examples of qualified retirement plans.

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Qualifying Widow(er)

A filing status you may be able to use for two years after the year your spouse died, allowing you to use the same rates as if you were filing jointly. To qualify, you must:

• Not have remarried before the end of the tax year for which you are filing the return.
• Have had the right to file a joint return in the year of your spouse's death.
• Have a dependent child living in your home and have paid more than half the cost of maintaining your home for that dependent.

You may file a joint return with your deceased spouse for the year of your spouse's death. For two years thereafter, if all of these conditions are met, you can file using the Qualifying Widow(er) status.

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