zOwie Omega Discussion Forum

: As an aside, the IRS once lost a case against
: an entertainer who had his custom suits
: specifically made without pockets. The Tax
: Court ruled that these suits were worthless
: to him off-stage, as he could not carry
: normal personal items outside of work AND
: the suits were left at the theatre after
: performances.

Could it be that this particular case involved Elvis?? I wouldn't bet against it, (Uh thankyew verry muuuch...), and in THAT perticular case you could probably even justify a diamond studded Omega easier than a plain old Speedmaster.

My own personal take on this is that you don't meet the test of utility only on the job, and a 2K "general deduction" on your tax form will almost CERTAINLY trigger an audit. The medical/police band radio would most likely qualify, and a plain old cellphone would not. A long time ago when I was still doing my own taxes and my wife was an independent dentist, I put down a "general expense" of $670 that she had paid a hygenist for overtime. That single expense triggered an audit, and while it was justified, the examiner did tell me that was what caused it. I'd rather buy an Omega off eBay without looking at the pictures of the watch, rather than try to expense a $2K watch.