2024 CA Counselor Reference Manual

ACA

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

ACTC

Additional child tax credit

AGI

Adjusted gross income

AOC

American Opportunity Credit, formerly HOPE education credit

APTC

Advance premium tax credit (part of the ACA) - – federal subsidies paid during the year for those buying insurance through a Marketplace such as Covered California

CASDI

California state disability insurance (Schedule A deduction; state tax)

CTC

Child tax credit

EIC / EITC

Earned income credit / Earned income tax credit

EIN / FEIN

Employer (tax) identification number - federal ID for processing employer payroll information

ERO

Electronic Return Originator - the person responsible for e-filing tax returns

FinCEN

Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, a bureau of the US Treasury Dept.

FTB

Franchise Tax Board – California governmental unit that handles the CA state income tax

HoH

Head of household (filing status)

HSA

Health savings account

ITIN

Individual taxpayer identification number – for those without an SSN

LC

Local Coordinator (the Tax-Aide volunteer responsible for one or more tax preparation sites)

LTC

Long-term care (insurance)

MAGI

Modified adjusted gross income. This is calculated differently depending on what the MAGI figure is being used for; see individual sections. 

MFJ

Married filing jointly (filing status)

MFS

Married filing separately (filing status)

MSA

Archer Medical Savings Account (out of scope)

NTTC

National Tax Training Committee – a Tax-Aide committee of volunteers responsible for issuing tax training and reference materials for Tax-Aide

OPM

Office of Personnel Management - the federal agency which pays government pensions

PTC

Premium tax credit (ACA) – the federal subsidy for those buying insurance through an exchange

QSS

Qualifying Surviving Spouse (was QW, Qualifying Widow/er) (filing status)

SDI

Same as CASDI

SEHI

Self-Employed Health Insurance

SS / SSN

Social Security [Administration] / Social Security number

TCE

Tax Counseling for the Elderly – the IRS program in which Tax-Aide is the largest, but not the only participant

VI / VP / VPDI

Voluntary Insurance / Voluntary Payment / Voluntary Payment Disability Insurance -

NONE of which are deductible (on Schedule A) as a state tax

VITA

Voluntary Income Tax Assistance Program – free tax preparation for low-income taxpayers by various community organizations, such as United Way.  Has an income cap (varies by organization and state); for 2024 returns, typically is $67,000 or less.