By William M. Dowd
Did you hear the one about the Amish guy who tried to deduct the cost of tricking out his buggy?
It’s true. The folks at Bankrate.com who like to collect stories of strange tax gimmicks from CPAs and tax prep specialists came up with the tale of a fellow who presented his accountant with a two-page itemized receipt.
A standard buggy used by the unostentacious religious sect costs $2,675, according to local sources. This one, however, had a few add-ons: dash lights, kick plates, tinted windshield, speedometer, hydraulic brakes and dimmer switches. The upgraded buggy ended up costing $3,545.
So, even when we least expect people to kick over the traces and try getting away with something, it happens.
Upon seeing this monumental change in the Old Order of things, I quickly checked our weather forecast for tomorrow, fully expecting to see predictions for storms of frogs, fireballs, lightning, locusts and other disasters. Much to my surprise, it appears we’re in for another nice day.
Fancy that.
(Posted 07/13/07)
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