Re: History Repeats Itself

On Apr 30, 9:04 pm, Jenn <jennconductsREMOVET...@xxxxxxx> wrote:
In article
<2fb17d12-a966-4866-8937-adc8b6a58...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,





 ScottW2 <Scott...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On Apr 30, 10:51 am, Jenn <jennconductsREMOVET...@xxxxxxx> wrote:
In article
<76c7b784-8472-43e2-8eb7-cb523bace...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,

 ScottW2 <Scott...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On Apr 28, 5:40 pm, stereoedi...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
On Apr 28, 2:38 pm, ScottW2 <Scott...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On Apr 28, 11:21 am, stereoedi...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
On Apr 28, 12:48 pm, ScottW2 <Scott...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I'd like to see that "writeoff" survive the scrutiny of an IRS
audit.

Well, whom should we trust on this subject? A disgruntled,
envious, anonymous Internet "ninnie" with no knowledge of the
subject or a CPA who specializes in matters like this?

LoL.  A "ninnie"?  How quickly you descend to calling names..

Hardly at all, ScottW. But in this case, the term Art Dudley
coined to describe someone who posts a voluminous number
of posts to Internet forums about subject he clearly knows
nothing about was too appropriate for me to resist.

LoL.  I'm able to do my own taxes.  I'll  bet you pay for audit
protection.  You should.   Fremer argues that he's a music
lover first so every time he fires up that reference system,
is it for personal enjoyment...or just reestablishing his "reference"?
Deducting that equipment as a business expense is like me writing
off 100% of my PC as an expense to do my taxes.

I disagree, as does the IRS.

  LoL.  You're going to produce your audit results here?

You don't trust me?

Credibility is earned.

 Why then do we even try to converse?

Because you reply to my posts.




  Even simple turbo tax asks what percentage of personal use
items you want to take a business expense deduction have.

Of course.  You're point?

If obvious points are so elusive to you, credibility for you is going
to remain equally elusive.




 I enjoy playing my guitars, and I often
play them for enjoyment only.  But they are also tools part of my trade.  
I deduct their cost, using depreciation, etc.  I also take depreciation
on a small percentage of my audio system and some of the recordings that
I buy, as I use both in the preparation of other parts of my
professional life.  I was selected for a random audit 3 years ago, and
there was no problem.

 Probably because the amount of your deduction wasn't worth
investigating.

Perhaps, but I doubt it.  They disallowed one thing and I had to write a
check for $27.  The music stuff was a few thousand dollars.

Did you tell the auditor the guitar was x% personal use?
Or didn't he ask?



On the issue of accepting discounts from companies, I agree that it's a
tricky issue.  I don't write reviews of music gear, but I'm associated
with a few companies (Martin Guitars, Baranik Guitars, Fishman acoustic
pickups and amps, etc.) and I get their stuff at wholesale prices and
below.  In the case of Martin, for example, I'm not famous enough in
that world to be asked to "endorse" their products, and in spite of the
discounts, I'm not asked to appear exclusively with their instrument.  
In trade for the discount, which they give me because I teach enough
guitar students and play in public enough that they believe that it is
to their benefit to try to have one of their high-end guitars in my
hands, I play their guitar in their booth at NAMM, and I'm on some kind
of list that is published.  In the case of audio gear or instruments or
anything else, if the reviewer reached a discounted purchase agreement
before a review was arranged and written, I would have a problem with
that.

  LoL.   I'm glad you're not on the senate ethics committee.
You'd fit right in.

How so?

Letting corruption go unchecked.


Meanwhile, Fremer admits he gets accomodation pricing. You think he
doesn't know that before the review?

I don't know, and neither do you.

Yeah I do. Fremer has a lot of experience so when he says he gets
accomodation pricing, I'm pretty sure he means it.
But if you don't want to believe him, that's up to you.


Why would being in a negotiable position be less corrupting than an
agreed
state?

That's not obvious?

You obviously don't negotiate much.
Do you think being in a position of damging the deal isn't a cause
for caution?
If the deal was done before the review...the writer could write
whatever he
wanted without impacting that deal.
Future deals....well there's the rub.


Leads one to believe my concerns with your taxes have a basis
beyond mere speculation.
Why not ask the IRS?   I'm sure you're paying the CPA to
avoid taxes, not pay taxes.

Why would you be sure? Just because like a large number of
other American citizens, my wife and I need professional
help preparing our tax return? Your position on this seems
a touch extreme, don't you think?

 Here's my position.

Audio was once a hobby that appealed to all the gearsluts of the
world. Build it or buy it...all audiophiles were gearsluts.
Then, like any group of promiscuous humans, some got the twisted
idea that they didn't need to give their opinion away. They should
get paid.   The audio hookers were born. First they were subscriber
funded but when that wasn't enough they turned to advertiser funding,
accomodation pricing and tax deductions.
So once you have enough hookers, the inevitable arrival of the audio
pimp breaks onto the scene.  Guess where you fit in?
So as is the usual in any society, when too many pimps and hookers
start fouling up the community, the vice squad is created.
Some are kindly old gearsluts who just don't want the pimping on
main street and others are more zealous who want it eradicated.
Of course, as is the norm in any promiscuous bunch, the STDs
will make their appearance as well.  Those are the McCarty's, Middiots
and Shhtards of the world. Parasites who just take advantage of the
fray.

Is that too extreme for you?

Pretty extreme, in my view.  So do you feel the same about all review
magazines:  wine, music, computers, etc?

  Do they get accomodation pricing?

Probably.

But you don't know. Neither do I. And we don't have a wine, music,
computer reviewer handy to admit they are corrupt so the speculation
is useless.
All I know is see far more critical reviews of these products than I
see of
audio gear which is a clear indication the corruption is not as
pervasive as
Holt warned years ago.

ScottW
.

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