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DEDUC TIO NS

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DEDUC TIO NS

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1 BODY OIL
A professional bodybuilder wrote off his body oil as a business expense. The IRS wasnt having it, but the Tax Court let it slip by.

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2 BREAST IMPLANTS
Cosmetic surgery costs are usually non-deductible. That didnt stop exotic dancer, Chesty Love, from challenging this rule. The Tax Court considered her 56-FF implants a legitimate business justication.

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3 SWIMMING POOL
One taxpayer had emphysema, and his doctor ordered an exercise regime. He installed a pool and used it twice a day to improve his lung capacity. The Tax Court allowed it as a medical expense.

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4 RESTITUTION IN FRAUD
One dentists wife kept the books and billed insurers for work that the dentist wasnt even performing. She went to jail, leaving him to repay everything. He deducted his restitution as a business expense again. The IRS didnt approve, but the Tax Court permitted the deductions.

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5 PAYING GIRLFRIENDS
One man needed someone to manage his rental properties and hired his girlfriend. She was in charge of tasks such as nding furniture, overseeing repairs, and running his personal household. He went to Tax Court and won.

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6 PRIVATE PLANE
One couple bought their own plane and used it to check on their rental condo daily. The IRS didnt think it could be written off, but the Tax Court allowed it.

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7 PET FOOD
Another couple owned their own junkyard. They would routinely place cat food out to attract wild cats. The cats helped make their junkyard safer by killing off the snakes and rats. Their food was written off as a business expense. The Tax Court allowed it even though the IRS thought it was ridiculous.

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8 DRIVING DRUNK EXPENSES

One man drank too much at a party and arranged a ride home. He thought he would be alright to drive a few hours later but ended up driving off of the road and was arrested for DUI. He had to pay for the car damages when insurance wouldnt and proceeded to deduct his repair costs and get away with it.

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9 BABYSITTING FEES
Babysitters are generally personal expenses, but not in this case. One mother was able to deduct her babysitting fees because she used that time to do volunteer work. The Tax Court logged it under charitable contributions.

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10 MOVING A PET
Sometimes the tax law permits writing off moving expenses, if you meet certain criteria. This includes the cost of moving your pet, as it is considered part of your personal effects.

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11 HOME LANDSCAPING
One man used his home for business meetings. In order to keep up appearances, he had to keep his yard maintained and repair his driveway. When he deducted the costs, the IRS didnt allow it, but the Tax Court allowed a portion of the cost to be written off.

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12 FREE BEER
An owner of a gas station decided to give away beer instead of trading stamps. He deducted the beer as a business expense.

FREE

BEER

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13 BERMUDA TRIP
Business conventions in Bermuda are deductible without having to show that there was a special reason for holding the convention in that location.

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14 SEX CHANGE
The Tax Court qualied $14,500 to be deducted from $22,000 of medical expenses from surgeries changing one man into a woman. They allowed the deduction because the procedure helped cure a disease.

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15 MAKING MOVIES
One woman worked on a documentary lm for six years. She wrote off her six-gure losses, and after some back and forth, the Tax Court eventually allowed it. The Tax Court claimed that she acted in a business-like manner, rather than pursued a hobby.

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16 DEER MEAT
If you happen to hit a deer while driving in South Carolina, the state will give you a $50 tax credit for every butchered deer that you donate to charity.

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17 CLARINET LESSONS
One person wrote off her sons clarinet lessons after she claimed that they were used to help x the childs overbite. The IRS approved the deduction.

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18 AFRICAN SAFARI
Dairy farmers claimed a tax deduction on their trip to the African Savanna because they went to learn about animals relevant to their business.

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19 DEADBEAT FRIENDS
Some taxpayers have chosen to collect the money they lent to friends and never got back by writing it off as a tax deduction.

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20 OSTRICH DEPRECIATION
An ostrich farmer in Louisiana was able to depreciate the cost of his ostrich. As livestock ages, farmers can deduct the depreciated value from their income if the animals were used for breeding.

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Get your taxes done right, at the right price, by our CPAs - online.

The above information is intended to provide generalized nancial information designed to educate a broad segment of the public; it does not give personalized tax, investment, legal or other business and professional advice. Before taking any action, you should always seek the assistance of a professional who knows your particular situation for advice on your taxes, your investments, the law or any other business and professional matters that affect you and/or your business.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwood/2012/03/21/still-more-strange-tax-deductions http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwood/2012/03/19/strange-but-legit-tax-deductions http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwood/2012/03/20/more-strange-tax-deductions http://www.kiplinger.com/article/taxes/T054-C000-S001-extraordinary-tax-deductions.html http://www.usnews.com/news/slideshows/10-bizarre-tax-deductions https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/tax-tips/Tax-Deductions-and-Credits/Top-10-Oddball-Tax-Deductions/INF12065.html