Thread: boobs just helped us break even on taxes

well yay for saline, the surgery in June helped us break even on taxes. What an incentive :) Accountant said something about how I 'model'
veils and costumes for business that the boob job fell under a deduction.

i love my acct

lol, your accountant is definitely a keeper.

whoa, only 11 posts after the Bhuz makeover ... I haven't been on here in forever! Regardless Jess, your accountant is a keeper and I need to go back to Hawaii and take some new pix of Tao, lol

Yay for tax deductible boobs!

Loves it!! ..l;,

Ok..that is awesome. Who knew?

I know you can write off your gym membership fees if your doctor "prescribes" working out to help treat/ manage a medical condition/ injury. I'm not sure how it would apply to maintaining ur body for business, but it may be worth looking into.

Wow. That's great. Keep that accountant!

Huh, if I need any plastic surgery after baby, I wonder if I can write it off as a job requirement as a bellydancer.
'course I'd have to start making money as a bellydancer instead of spending it then!

That is awesome! Wish I could have deducted mine. I was working as a Realtor at the time. :P

hmmm... wonder if it will cover my lipo and tummy tuck.

Woohoo! Now I'm really wanting to do this once I'm finished having babies. My poor breasts take such a beating from nursing that they'll need a pick-me-up when I'm done.

Wow, and I thought I was lucky to be able to write off my massage therapy this year!

This is the best news I've heard all week.

Originally Posted by Amber_moon

hmmm... wonder if it will cover my lipo and tummy tuck.

that's the same thing i was going to ask him..if anyone wants his contact i'll forward to you, sometimes he's slow getting back to you with answers but he's as smart as a whip and knows his stuff. I pay about $450 for his services and he saves me bundles.

Originally Posted by Amber_moon

hmmm... wonder if it will cover my lipo and tummy tuck.

If it's related to work, I bet it would!

I totally deducted my boobs too. How awesome is this?

As far as I'm aware I don't think boob jobs are an allowable deduction. Because you can still perform your job without them so it's not a "requirement" for your job. I would get a 2nd opinion from another CPA.

Remember the old saying "if something sounds too good to be true it usually is."

I am aware of some cases where topless entertainers were allowed to write off their boob jobs, but they had to demonstrate that the new breasts were of such proportions that they were only of benefit within the context of their employement in the adult entertainment industry, that they would never be considered within the realm of normal enhancement. "Chesty" Love was the first to win a court case on this in 1994. Her boobs were size 56FF and weighed 10 lbs each.

The litmus test is whether you were able to perform your job prior to the surgery. If you successfully performed or modeled previously without enhanced breasts the deduction will not be allowed. Even if you are within your rights to claim the deduction, it WILL raise a red flag. Prepare for an audit.

Originally Posted by jesennia

that's the same thing i was going to ask him..if anyone wants his contact i'll forward to you, sometimes he's slow getting back to you with answers but he's as smart as a whip and knows his stuff. I pay about $450 for his services and he saves me bundles.

Id be interested in knowing... because Ive been considering having lipo done for months now, and I REALLY WANT A TUMMY TUCK!!! But the expense would be outrageous so weve been holding back...

... BUUUUUT if it could be deducted from taxes... it just might be feasible!

A tummy tuck would certainly be a hard justification. In fact the only case I could find where a person successfully sued to have $2K written off for a boob job was the 1994 Cynthia Hess case & the judge basically viewed her boobs as stage props for business and not personal cosmetic surgery since went to a size 56F (or something crazy like that).
Here's a relevant part of the tax code (the next step is finding cases that show how judges interpret the code both federally & in your jurisdiction):

General IRS Tax Law or Tax Code Applicable to Medical Expenses:
Section 213(a) allows a deduction for expenses paid during the taxable year, not compensated for by insurance or otherwise, for medical care of the taxpayer, spouse, or dependent, to the extent the expenses exceed 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income. Under § 213(d)(1)(A), medical care includes amounts paid for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, or for the purpose of affecting any structure or function of the body.

Medical care does not include cosmetic surgery or other similar procedures, unless the surgery or procedure is necessary to ameliorate a deformity arising from, or directly related to, a congenital abnormality, a personal injury resulting from an accident or trauma, or a disfiguring disease. Section 213(d)(9)(A). Cosmetic surgery means any procedure that is directed at improving the patient’s appearance and does not meaningfully promote the proper function of the body or prevent or treat illness or disease. Section 213(d)(9)(B).

If/ when challenged on the write-off, you could try to make the argument that the surgery is for the advancement of your career, but that is not a sure- fire win.

IDK why I keep getting kicked offline.. anywho, my other post didn't survive the wi-fi fiasco. Basically, I read the other posts in this topic and deelight's post raises the right issues. There is more to the "litmus" test..a judge will look at a variety of factors to determine if the business tools standard has been satisfied.

Of course I'm not a tax attorney (I don't even like tax law, lol), I just learned the stuff that pertained to my other law classes.

sent an email to my acct yesterday reminding him its his ass on the line if i get audited

of course i could argue that i was disfigured after pregnancy but i guess thats a case of opinion..l;,

Originally Posted by jesennia

sent an email to my acct yesterday reminding him its his ass on the line if i get audited

of course i could argue that i was disfigured after pregnancy but i guess thats a case of opinion..l;,

Jes, is your accountant a CPA? It's my understanding that only CPAs and EAs (Enrolled Agents) can represent you before the IRS in case of an audit.

~~Kimahri

yes and is the acct for a few large businesses in Oahu

Any

Any item or procedure from which you derive a personal benefit cannot be deducted as a business expense. That is why we don't deduct the cost of pedicures, hair color, toothpaste and spray tanner even though we certainly need them for our jobs. Same for more expensive things such as laser hair removal, boob jobs and tummy tucks.

In order to count this as a deduction you would have to prove:
a. That you derived no personal benefit from the boobs (i.e., they must be so large that you wouldn't want them simply for personal enhancement)
b. They are a requirement of your job (i.e. You advertise yourself as "the big-boobed belly dancer" or something)
c. You were previously unable to either belly dance or model solely because of the size of your breasts

If your accountant is responsible of course you will not be charged with criminal tax evasion. But unless you have a contract with him that states otherwise, you will probably be liable for any back tax you owe plus accrued interest.

Dang Deelight that means I can't write off practically anything. hair care, waxing, computer, ipod, music. I get personal benefit from dance in general and most of the stuff I buy i'd buy even if I couldn't write it off. That's a hard one to prove. I do keep all the receipts tho just in case I get audited in a few years. My tax guy used to work for the IRS so I trusted his opinion. Maybe I should talk to someone else.

My father keeps a home office (dedicated room, fancy equipment) but refuses to write it off on his taxes for fear of an audit. But he also keeps records and pays state income taxes on stuff he buys online from out of state - he is just a super conservative guy (and no, he's not in the Mafia).

On the other hand, my friend and her husband claim everything they can for their Quixstar/Amway business...computer, internet, car, mileage...I know some of it is B.S., but they have not been audited yet.

Basically, I think moderate business deductions are only a problem if you're audited, or if worrying about it keeps you up nights. I would certainly try to deduct waxing, tanning, and pedicures if I were a pro, because as a civilian I don't do that stuff.

well i was able to write off concert tickets and travel in the past since i marketed at concerts so I'll leave it in the hands of the pros. I wouldn't even begin to try to figure it out on my own, that's why I hired a PRO to do it. And he consults with others, he's part of a team

I did forward parts of this post to him to see what he says about it and reminded him it's his ass if I get audited