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.
Whitney Houston’s autopsy report has revealed that large parts of her skin were burnt off from the scalding hot bath in which she was found.
The shocking report states that Whitney Houston had patches of “skin slippage” from the hot water burns on several parts of her body.
It is thought that Whitney Houston could have been so out of it that she did not realize, or feel, how hot the water was. The bath water was 33°C (93.5°F) six hours after she died, showing how incredibly hot it would have been when she first got into it.
Whitney Houston was found face down and unresponsive in about 13 inches of water on February 11 and passed away at the age of 48.
The startling revelations of how badly damaged her body is an indication as to how much her lifestyle took a toll on her, leading to her untimely death. Some scars were recent – others from years of neglect.
The Los Angeles County Coroner’s report shows that Whitney Houston had a perforated septum, likely to be from the large amounts of cocaine she consumed in her lifetime.
The singer also had scars and abrasions on her arms and legs and bruises on her shoulders and head.
Whitney Houston's autopsy report has revealed that large parts of her skin were burnt off from the scalding hot bath in which she was found
There were two scars under Whitney Houston’s breasts, believed to be from a breast augmentation procedure. It is also thought she had other cosmetic surgeries going by the marks on her stomach and upper thigh.
Whitney Houston was seen with blood dripping from her legs just a few days before she died after stumbling out of a nightclub in Los Angeles.
The autopsy report also showed that Whitney Houston was wearing a “maxillary dental prosthesis” and had 11 false teeth.
Her body was discovered face down in the bath tub, “her eyes were congested and there was a bloody purge coming from her nose”.
There was “superficial abrasions to the left side of her forehead and the bridge of her nose”. She also had cuts on her left arm, hand and shoulder.
It was a sordid end for the award-winning star, and officials insist there were absolutely no signs of foul play.
The report also confirms details of the drug paraphernalia found among Whitney Houston’s belongings.
There was a “spoon with a white crystal-like substance on it” and a “white powdery substance”, which was later tested and determined to be cocaine in the late singer’s hotel room.
The report, which gives a detailed description of the state of the Beverly Hilton hotel room when officials arrived, reads: “Located on the south portion of the counter was a small spoon with a white crystal-like substance in it and a rolled up piece of white paper, along with other miscellaneous items.”
“Located in the top drawer, in the north side of the counter were remnants of a white powdery substance, and a portable mirror on a base.”
Officials found more white powder on the base of the mirror.
The report also reveals the probable cause of death: “[Whitney Houston] possibly overdosed on a narcotic substance, prescription medications, over the counter medications and alcohol.”
It also notes that when officials discovered the body, Whitney Houston was wearing a brown wig “tightly attached to the hair”.
The wig was removed revealing a full head of wavy black hair with “no balding”.
Whitney Houston also had traces of marijuana in her system as well as Xanax (anxiety medication), Flexeril (muscle relaxer) and Benadryl (allergy medication).
The report also describes a plastic bag ripped open with pills spilling out, medication bottles and an ashtray with cigarette butts all over the place.
When Whitney Houston’s official cause of death was released in March her heart disease was mentioned, but the new detailed report also cites that she had a hole in her septum and that she was suffering from mild emphysema.
Kristy McCracken of the Beverly Hills Police Department also noticed an old needle puncture wound on Whitney Houston’s inner left elbow.
On the day she died, Whitney Houston complained of a sore throat, so she decided to take a bath in at her hotel room at the Beverly Hilton before getting ready for Clive Davis’ Pre-Grammy party.
