It's not bragging if you can back it up

I started to use an offshoot of the original story I read on this--something about "Lawyer seeking tax xxxempt status has no happy ending," but I thought this was more in line with my previous comments about Tom Watson, and age being nothing but a number.

I was amused Tuesday as I read a story about a 77-year old tax lawyer who was denied tax deductions. Normally that doesn't amuse me, but the nature of his deductions was a source of some interest.

Apparently, the old geezer--and I better watch it, as those numbers will be at me before I know it--was deducting more than $100,000 per year in, let's say, courtesan costs. The old boy, who was single/divorced, claimed that he needed these visits to ladies providing sexual services to combat his depression, erectile dysfunction, etc. and claimed the expenses as medical deductions. All in all, he deducted more than $300,000 in "provider" benefits, performance aids, and the like.

He kept a "Tax Log" for each visit, purportedly including the first name of the "medical" provider, and presumably, the cost of each encounter, and submitted that for his evidence.

Alas, the expenses were denied. Nasty tax laws about not deducting the illegal payments and such.

I have a theory. My theory is that the guy will benefit from the publicity generated by the story, and that was part of it, and maybe a little bragging was part of it, too. Hey, look what I've been doing in my spare time!

I teach an income tax law class on Tuesday nights, and the story was timely. I always joke with my class that tax law is "sex, drugs, and rock and roll," and the story set the theme for Tuesday night's adventure in tax. Wonder what next Tuesday night's tax law story will be. Stay tuned.

Brooklyn Tax Lawyer denied happy ending