This summer, Taxgirl is going to the movies!
Yeah, I’m one of those annoying people that you don’t want to see a movie with… I constantly question the tax consequences of plot lines. It’s a sickness. And since I’m such a giver, I’m sharing it with you!
That’s right. This summer, I’m asking you to nominate films for me to review – with a twist. I’m going to blog about the tax consequences of the events in the movies. You know, like the fact that Julia Roberts’ character still has to report her income from prostitution in Pretty Woman… and how Nicholas Cage’s character has to pay income tax on all of his winnings in It Could Happen to You and still has a gift tax issue to wrangle with. Trust me, you don’t get this level of film review from Rex Reed…
So, here are the rules!
To begin, you can nominate a film in the comments. No porn – my mother could be reading. Nothing too violent – I’ll close my eyes for the entire movie and then I won’t be able to review it. And it has to be in English or have English subtitles. And nothing with Jessica Simpson in it – that’s just mean and wrong. You can suggest all of the Luke Wilson movies that you want (keep your snide comments to yourself, Chris).
It also has to be something that’s been released recently or is easily available on DVD. I don’t have the wherewithal to dig up obscure movies.
Please make sure that you include your real email address in the comments. I won’t reveal your email address (it doesn’t show up in the comments) but I’ll need it in case you are eligible for a cool taxgirl prize!
Prize? Oh yeah. It’s a contest. I’m going to choose the films for review throughout the summer based on your suggestions – at my discretion (it is my blog after all, and I can’t be forced to watch Jennifer Lopez films if I don’t want to). Each time that I post a review, you can “vote” on the review with your comments. The person who initially suggested the most commented film review of the summer will be eligible for a taxgirl prize. The grand winner will receive a cool Taxgirl tee. Depending on the number of entrants, I may have some consolation prizes… We’ll see how it goes.
I’m really excited about the feature. Start posting your suggestions below. The contest ends on Labor Day. Time begins… now!
Kelly,
I’m a sci-fi type person. How about “The Island”? It’s a less complicated version of the Matrix. Or Children of Men (which is quite a bit more arty)?
I nominate the new Bruce Willis movie, “Live Free or Die Hard.” It gives me an excuse to go to the movies, too!
It absolutely has to be Ocean’s 13. Beautiful men, the coolest toys, and enough ill-gotten gain to keep the IRS busy for years. I would love to see your analysis of the plot (and sub-plot) (… and the sub-sub-plot) from a tax perspective. Grab an over-priced box of popcorn and enjoy!
“Trading Places” (not Spaces – although it might also be interesting for you to analyze the tax consequences of reality TV, other than Richard Hatch, of course).
The Sting. What a great movie.
Wall Street is just a little too obvious, so how about Casablanca. Gambling and bribery? In Casablanca?
How about the Johnny Depp movie Blow, where he plays the drug dealer and smuggler that introduced cocaine to the U.S.
Some of the tax issues might be…
– family goes bankrupt
– George turns to selling pot on the beach in Southern California
– Profits from drug smuggling
– Money laundering
Gotta suggest Shawshank Redemption. Andy Dufresne/Tim Robbins was, after all, an accountant. Was the tax advice he gave the guard correct (for that era, of course)? What about his cooking of the books for the warden? That could lead to a discussion of the tax consequences of hiring an unscrupulous tax pro.