Okay, so it’s not quite summer yet. But it sure feels like it in Philadelphia – we’ve hovered near the 100 degree mark for three or four days in a row. The heat and humidity is beginning to make me wish fondly for coastal NC summers (and if you’ve been to coastal NC in the summer, you know that it’s freaking hot).
So since it feels like summer, I am announcing the second “taxgirl Goes to the Movies” contest a few weeks early…
Last year was a lot of fun. You can review last year’s entries and see the winning entry here.
Here’s how it works: I am 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!
Just like last summer, I’m asking you to nominate films for me to review – with a twist. You make the nomination and if I agree, I’ll 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 Nicolas 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 anywhere else…
To nominate a film, leave your suggestion 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 or Lindsey Lohan in it – that’s just mean and wrong. You can suggest all of the Luke Wilson or Jonathan Rhys-Meyers movies that you want (keep your snickering to yourself, please).
The movie has to be something that’s been released recently or is easily available on cable, DVR, iTunes or Comcast OnDemand (believe it or not, we don’t have a DVD player). I don’t have the wherewithal to dig up obscure movies.
Note that films that I reviewed last year are not eligible for review this year.
I’ll choose the films for review throughout the summer based on your nominations – at my discretion. It is, after all, my blog, and I can’t be forced to watch Scarlett Johansson films if I don’t want to. Each time that I post a review, you can “vote” on the review with your comments – there is no limit on the number of comments that any one person can leave so long as you add to the conversation with something new.
The person who initially nominated the most commented film review of the summer will receive a cool taxgirl tee. Depending on the number of entrants, I may have some consolation prizes… We’ll see how it goes.
Please make sure that you include a valid 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’re a winner.
Start posting your suggestions below. The contest ends on Labor Day. Time begins… now!
Great idea. 🙂
If you can find Cool Runnings, that’s got to be my favourite movie, about the Jamaican bobsled team.
If you can’t find Cool Runnings, how about Ocean’s 13?
Marijke
http://www.helpmyhurt.com
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HellBoy. He works for the government. Does he have to pay taxes? What about everyone else? How much of everyone’s tax dollars would go to defeating The Golden Army?
How about Boiler Room starring Giovanni Ribisi and Vin Diesel? First you to consider Seth’s filing status, since he is a college dropout and his father is a Federal Judge he would have, at one point, been a dependent before he dropped out of college. Underground casino earnings? How would you hide so much money from the IRS (and Dad)? Then the new job at the shady brokerage firm…if their business is less-than-reputable, what about their bookkeeping and taxes? Oh, the tax headache…..
Deuce Bigelow-Male Gigolo – I always wondered if “gigolo” would qualify as a tax category, and if he could write off that huge fish tank he destroyed, as “business related.”
jean
Aha, this is awesome. When I’m watching movies, I always think about “what if he/she has to deal with this problem? That’d be realistic and funny.” I never think about them in the context of tax though. Does the movie need to take place in modern time though? Or maybe you can try to force modern tax code onto ancient people?
What about “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”? Not only do they have some hanky panky with their taxes considering that they’re employed by secret agencies — but just how do you get your taxes to pass muster when other spies and your suspicious wife will be checking up on your return (especially if you file jointly)?
OK, if you want Luke Wilson, I think the income tax implications of Old School could be pretty interesting.
Legally Blonde.
” Blank Check ” -a minor fills in a check for a large amount , who pays the taxes? 1994, it’s a Disney film , with Brian Bonsall and Ton Loc to help with location
“21” with Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, and Laurence Fishburne. It’s about a group of MIT college kids who their professor teaches how to play Blackjack in Las Vegas by “counting cards.” Because they all work in a team, they would win up to millions of dollars per night in Vegas. Wouldn’t they have to report winnings in the casino if they win THAT much money? Isn’t there like a limit that they would have to report? Check it out!