Babysitting Fees

Top 10 Oddball Tax Deductions

Don't let your children keep you from charitable duties. A court ruled that parents who hire babysitters so they can take time to conduct charitable work are entitled to tax breaks. In this case, it's a give/get back scenario.

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Top 10 Oddball T... Tax season is upon us – are you ready? Here are 10 odd (but acceptable) tax deductions that could help keep more cash in your pocket.
Swimming Pools Has your doctor recommended that you take up swimming? Did you install a pool in your yard so you could? Turns out you may be able to deduct the installation costs as a medical expense. But this deduction will only pass muster if the costs exceed the added value to your property. And don't forget to include what you spent on pool chemicals and insurance.
Pet Food If you have a rodent problem and exterminators just don't do it for you, try stray cats. One family who owned a junkyard set out food to attract feral cats to enter their property and rid it of unwanted vermin. The family went to court to argue that they should be able to write off the cost of the food—and won. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Travel to Sunny ... Did you know that you can deduct costs incurred to attend business conventions in Costa Rica and other Caribbean countries? Talk about fun in the sun... (AP Photo/Kent Gilbert)
Body Oil A professional bodybuilder successfully deducted the cost of the body oil he used during competition as a business expense. But the Tax Court wasn't buying his attempt to write off additional expenses for buffalo meat and vitamin supplements. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Moving the Famil... Did you know that deductible moving expenses can include the cost of relocating your pets? In the eyes of the IRS, Muffin, Chloe or your goldfish Moe are considered personal belongings. (AP Photo/Stace Maude)
Private Aircraft Though the CEOs of the Big 3 automakers were grilled for their use of private jets, private-plane expenses incurred by small-business owners actually may be deductible. (AP Photos/Alan Diaz)
Babysitting Fees... Don't let your children keep you from charitable duties. A court ruled that parents who hire babysitters so they can take time to conduct charitable work are entitled to tax breaks. In this case, it's a give/get back scenario.
Landscaping Office appearances matter inside and out. Taxpayers who conduct business at home can deduct the cost of sprucing up their lawns and gardens.
Free Beer Are you shelling out precious funds on a headline-worthy promotion? It might be deductible. One gas-station owner gave customers free beer and was allowed to write it off as a business expense. (AP Photo/Christof Stache)
Breast Augmentat... Business investments can be written off... even if the investment is a breast enhancement for your stripping gig. A Tax Court decision allowed stripper "Chesty Love" to write off the cost of the surgery that brought her to a 56FF. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)