At tax time, most of us go straight. But every year, the IRS doesn’t make sense of a huge number of creative and just plain bizarre tax deduction claims. Some are dismissed out of hand, but others are so odd, they’re totally legal.
The IRS receives thousands of tax claims annually, but some are so absurd, they sound as if they would fit into a stand-up routine. Read on to find out more about these tax deductions and also find out how they can affect you.
IRS Finds No Sense in these Rare but Legal Tax Deductions
It might sound real or not, but the IRS does not find any logic in deductions for body oil, swimming pools, and cat food, but in very specific situations, even these have been legal. By the time the agency does not encourage bending the rules, it also recognizes that every situation is unique.
Let’s break down some of the top 10 most interesting deductions that have caused tax professionals and IRS officials to do a double take.
IRS Doesn’t Make Sense of Deductions. Or does it?
The next one isthe most interesting (and at some point approved) deductionthat mmakesyou wonder what else would qualify:
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- Swimming pool for therapeutic purposes: One taxpayer with severe arthritis got a deduction for installing a swimmingpool due to its ddoctor-rescribed aquatic therapy. Documentation and a direct health benefit were required with no excuses.
- Cat food as a business expense: A junkyard owner used cat food as an attraction to stray cfors to fend off rodents. Because it helped in the maintenance of the property, it was somehow approved.
- Breast implants for business branding: A dancer managed to deduct her breast implants as a business expense, stating that they were essential to her career. The IRS accepted it as a “stage prop.”
- Clarinet lessons to fix an overbite: A child’s music lessons were subtracted by the time a doctor claimed that playing the clarinet would straighten teeth; indeed, that did it.
- Body oil for bodybuilders: In a case right out of the pages of a muscle magazine, a pro bodybuilder deducted body oil as a business expense for competitions. Accepted with receipts at the end.
- Total service for the dog dog’s full care: A man who had a medical need for his service dog deducted vet bills, food, grooming. ng. The IRS allows these when related to a medical condition.
- Babysitting costs while volunteering for charity: A taxpayer deducted babysitter costs at thetime ofe volunteering for a charity. Due to its volunteer wobeing non-compensatedted, the deduction was permitted.
- Wigs for emotional support: When a patient undergoing medical treatment needed a wig to cope with hair loss, the cost was writtoff. f. This is a medical necessity.
- A private airplane to visit clients: A business consultant deducted the cost of flying his plane to visit clients. Travel documentation had to be flawless to be approved.
- Landscaping a business home: A couple deducted the cost of landscaping their home because they used it to produce content for their gardening YouTube channel.
Think Twice Before Getting Too Creative with Your Taxes
Even though the list above might make you think twice, it is relevant to keep in mind that it needs to be substantiated by proper record-keeping. If you’re pushing the envelope, consult a tax professional to be safe. Just because another person got through doesn’t mean the same rule will apply to your case.
Audits are no joke, and while the IRS has permitted some bizarre deductions, it is never a guarantee at the end. While the IRS finds no sense in many deductions at face value, the law sometimes tells a diverse story.
The key is to comprehend the intent behind each expense, prove its connection to your income or health, and ensure full transparency.