A list of unusual IRS (Internal Revenue Service) claims that did get approved includes the woman who claimed her breast implants were a business expense and the man who passed off his swimming pool as medical.
Topless dancer Chesty Love was a notable case changing the rules for plastic surgery exemption.
In 2009 a court ruled Chesty Love’s “assets” were so big they constituted props and she was permitted to write them off.
Unusual tax write-offs made and allowed by the IRS
“[The] petitioner’s line of business, that of a professional exotic dancer, was such that part of her <<costume>> was her freakishly large breasts,” the court ruling read.
“[The] petitioner has proven that if she could remove her implants on a daily basis she would have done so as she preferred not to have <<worn>> them in her offstage personal life. However, this was physically impossible. Because [the] petitioner’s implants were so extraordinarily large, we find they were useful only in her business. Accordingly, we hold that the cost of the petitioners implant surgery is depreciable.”
One unidentified man was able to claim tax relief on his daughter’s wedding, according to his lawyer.
Writing on his website Edward Gonzalez, a tax lawyer in Maryland and Virginia, said: “The documentation was thorough. Surprisingly, IRS never even argued with us about the nature of the wedding as a business event. We said it was (partially). Gave them the list of attendees, documentation for the expenses, and it was accepted!”
In 1962, the IRS approved the deduction of clarinet lessons as they were used to help fix a little boy’s overbite while a man was allowed to write-off his swimming pool expenses as it helped with his osteoarthritis.
Under IRS Publication 502 medical expenses can include “special equipment installed in a home, or for improvements, if their main purpose is medical care for you, your spouse or dependent”.
They also include items such as false teeth, prosthetic limbs and breast pumps.
Turbotax has compiled a list of bizarre exemption attempts that failed to work.
Less successful attempts included a woman who claimed a dog was a dependent and the person who said their sex toys were part of their business.
Another tried to claim “entertaining his mistress” should count as a work expense.
One man tried to claim his marijuana crop was a business expense and got more than the tax-relief he was hoping for.
“If you’re running a criminal enterprise, normal tax laws should be the least of your worries,” Turbotax said.
According to the website, another man apparently tried to claim for a $10,000 arsonist he used to burn down his business so he could claim the insurance money.
NBC network and its Today show have come under fire for their decision to air an interview with Kris Jenner about her breast implants instead of this morning’s moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. held in memory of the victims of 9/11.
While ABC’s Good Morning America and CBS This Morning carried the minutes silence from the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, viewers of NBC across the country had to rely upon their local affiliate to interrupt Today to witness the poignant ceremonies.
While WNBC in New York City took the decision to air the commemorative events from Ground Zero and the nation’s capital, the rest of the country took to Twitter to vent their disappointment that the network had chosen to be the only national news program not to broadcast the minutes silence.
Instead of watching the events from Washington D.C. where President Barack Obama was in attendance and New York where families of the victims and representatives of the NYPD, FDNY and Port Authority Police gathered, the majority of NBC viewers were treated to Kris Jenner discussing her latest breast operation.
“Shame on them: NBC skips 9/11 moment of silence for Kardashian interview,” wrote B.Loco on Twitter , expressing her outrage.
Sports talk radio host Tony Bruno took to his Twitter account to say: “Wow, just Wow. NBC should be ashamed beyond belief and ridiculed by ALL!”
Today show aired Kris Jenner talking about her breast implant, but failed to show 9-11 moment of silence
Following the moment of silence other networks quickly jumped back into their routine as CBS went to a commercial break and ABC began an interview with Richard Gere.
Speaking with Today‘s Savannah Guthrie on Tuesday, Kris Jenner, the star of Keeping up with the Kardashians discussed September 9th’s penultimate episode that showcased her plans to get her 23-year-old breast implants replaced.
“I thought it was such a great idea to film that,” Kris Jenner told Savannah Guthrie Tuesday morning.
“The reason I went in and did that was because I had had my implants in for 152 years – you know, a long time, way longer than their shelf life.”
And as Kris Jenner, 56, discussed her first breast operation since 1989 all the cable channels and CBS and ABC were broadcasting the moment silence and viewers took to Twitter to express their disgust.
Some called the network’s decision a “major fail” and a “new all time low”, while another Twitter user simply said “Shame on them” for their broadcast choice.
Megan Kopf, a spokesperson with the Today show, defended the network’s coverage of the 9/11 anniversary ceremony.
“The Today show dedicated a considerable amount of time to September 11th coverage this morning throughout the entire show,” said Megan Kopf to POLITICO.
This tops off a summer to forget for NBC, during which the network has taken criticism for their delayed airing of Olympic events such as Usain Bolt’s victory in the 100 metres sprint and asked why it did not show more of the London Paralympic Games.
During the five minute interview about her cosmetic surgery aired at 8:45 a.m., Kris Jenner said that all women should be aware of the shelf life of the breast implants.
“You know, take them out and change them after 10 years,” she urged all woman with implants.
“That was a big message and important for me to sort of put out there in a comical way.
“You know, I made fun of myself. Because at my age, you’re over 50 – like, when do you stop?
“But it was so important, health-wise, to remind women to check your expiration date because it’s a health risk.”
“I had my implants done in 1989 and that was a long time ago.”
“It is really important to pay attention to what your body is telling you and my body was saying, <<You’re tired, it’s enough get it fixed>>.”
Discussing her daughter Kim Kardashian’s relationship with Hip Hop star Kanye West, Kris Jenner said that she couldn’t be happier for her daughter.
“He’s a great guy, I mean he is really a great guy and I think they are well suited for each other and I think they are really really happy and anybody who has kids knows that when your kids are happy, you are happy,” she said.
While Kris Jenner and her family prepare for the seventh season finale of their wildly successful reality television show, the self proclaimed “momager” has said that she is looking forward to the resolution of her daughter Khloe Kardashian’s attempts to become pregnant and start a family.
“She is doing good, she is really positive,” said Kris Jenner.
“Somethings I watch back and I think wow, that’s kinda crazy or hard to watch.
“But we love what we do, we’re having a really good time and as I say over and over again, I get to wake up and work with my family.”
“And it doesn’t get any better than that, I love what we are doing.”
Kris Jenner recently posed for the cover of New Idea magazine, on which she displays her astonishing bikini body for everyone to see.
The Kardashians “momager” also shares her secrets to staying fit to the Australian publication.
Sunday night on Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Kris Jenner, 56, announced to her family that she was undergoing surgery to get new breast implants.
Kris Jenner recently posed for the cover of New Idea magazine
It came as a shock to her family, who were locked out of the decision making process even before she went to hospital.
This led to quite a backlash on Twitter.
One user wrote: “Why is Kris Jenner get breast implants? She’s almost 60. That’s redic [sic].”
Another added: “Why Kris Jenner thinks she’s 25yrs old? New Breast implant and skirts shorter than her hair cut?! #KUWTK.”
Kris Jenner then flaunted her chest to her children even though her stitches were still in place.
French Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) founder Jean-Claude Mas has been arrested at his home in Six-Fours-les-Plages, southern France, according to police.
In 2010, France banned PIP breast implants made with low-grade industrial silicone, amid fears they could rupture and leak.
Up to 400,000 women in 65 countries are believed to have been given implants.
Jean-Claude Mas, 72, remains at his home while police search it – as required by French law.
PIP owner is believed to have been detained as part of a judicial investigation started in December into manslaughter and involuntary injuries.
A second PIP executive, former chief financial officer Claude Couty, has also been arrested
Jean-Claude Mas has been under investigation since he revealed in a police interview last year that PIP ordered employees to hide the unauthorized silicone when inspectors visited its factory.
He told police that PIP had deceived European safety inspectors for 13 years.
But Jean-Claude Mas has insisted they posed no threat to health and attacked the French authorities for offering to pay for their removal because it put women through a “surgery risk”.
Jean-Claude Mas has been under investigation since he revealed in a police interview last year that PIP ordered employees to hide the unauthorized silicone when inspectors visited its factory
PIP owner also said he had “nothing” to say to women facing surgery for their removal and that victims had only filed complaints “to make money”.
Excerpts from Jean-Claude Mas’s interview have been re-examined by a French magistrate.
In France, 30,000 women have been advised to remove the implants and 2,700 have filed complaints against Jean-Claude Mas.
Women in 65 countries – mainly in Latin America and elsewhere in Europe – have received implants made by the company, which closed down in March 2010.
Health officials in Germany, the Czech Republic and Venezuela have advised women to have them removed.
The medical advice in the UK, where 40,000 are affected, is that there is no need for all the implants to be removed, only those causing problems such as pain or tenderness.
In England, the NHS will only replace them in exceptional circumstances, and the NHS in Wales said it would only do so when it was deemed medically necessary.
Women in Northern Ireland who received PIP implants for health reasons will have them replaced, but the NHS will only remove, not replace, those inserted for cosmetic reasons.
Scotland’s Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said concerned women who had them fitted privately would be offered advice and the option of removal if necessary. There are no records of PIP implants being used by the NHS.
The international police agency Interpol has said Jean-Claude Mas is wanted in Costa Rica over a drunk driving charge.
It said the “red notice” over an alleged incident in June 2010 was “totally unconnected” to PIP.
