Some of the Most Amazing Tax Deductions Ever

Closeup,On,Notebook,Over,Vintage,Desk,Surface,,Front,Focus,On

At GROCO, we have been doing this for more than 50 years. That means we’ve heard just about every crazy tax story you can imagine. With tax season now officially in full swing we thought we would share some of the craziest tax deduction stories we’ve ever heard; and they’re all true.

A gas station owner gave away free beer at his gas station. At tax time he put all the expense for the beer on his tax return as a business expense. He told the IRS he was trying to entice new customers to pull in and fill up, which was actually a way to promote his business. The IRS agreed.

A couple managing some rental properties decided that they didn’t have enough time to drive around a mountain pass to visit all their homes. The couple decided to buy a private jet instead, so they could see their homes much quicker. They said it should be allowed as a deduction because it saved them so much time. The IRS agreed with them and said it should be allowed as a normal, ordinary and necessary business expense.

Another couple, which owned a junkyard bought a large supply of cat food and then claimed the purchase as a deduction. They said they needed to use the food to attract stray cats. Why, because they needed the cats to keep the rat and snake populations under control.

The best part about all of these stories is that they really happened and the IRS really let these people take these crazy deductions. There’s no question that these taxpayers knew how to milk the system. Want to hear some more crazy tax deduction tales? Just click here.

Posted in

Tax Education Expense

Tax Education Expense Attention engineers!! You may be able to deduct the cost of your tuition spent on your MBA degree. In order to do so, you must connect your MBA degree with a business purpose and it cannot qualify you for a new line of work. The current tax code gives tax breaks to…

Four Types of Income Tax Exclusions

Four Types of Income Tax Exclusions We are all interested in saving taxes. Through effective tax planning, you can preserve more of your wealth (or wealth that passes to your heirs) through eliminating income taxes on the gain. There are four types of income that may be excluded permanently. Income Exclusion #1 – Excluding Gain…

The Research and Development Tax Credit: Claim What You Deserve

The Research and Development Tax Credit: Claim What You Deserve By Shane T. Frank Many manufacturers are not aware that federal and state research and development (R&D) tax credit programs exist that may reward their day-to-day efforts aimed at producing a more efficient product. The Research and Development Tax Credit is a government-sponsored benefit that…

8 Rules of Building Wealth

8 Rules of Building Wealth

8 Rules of Building Wealth Forget Performance; look at fees! Remember that it’s not what you make, it’s what you keep. When evaluating an investment evaluate the cost to generate an investment return. If you are using an investment manager compare the performance of the investment net of fees. Be careful when entering into non-tradition…