If you can get it for $600, then $600 would be the taxable amount.
| So I would be paying income tax on $798-$600 = $198 (total retail price -
| gift max),
|
| or would I be paying tax on the whole $798? I will ask my tax preparer for
| more information.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | > As I understand my tax preparer, yes, if you can find a legitimate
| > advertised, or verifiably
| > quotable, lower price (good luck on MS products for that) and without
| > other "strings attached" to
| > that offer, you can legally use that price for tax purposes.
| >
| > Sales taxes AND income taxes must also be paid on that value to state and
| > local governments (at
| > least here in NYC). In some cases and for some items, local taxes might
| > not apply.
| >
| > As far as I know shipping costs are not a factor in taxable income. (I did
| > not add the FED EX costs
| > of the tickets.)
| >
| >
| > | > |
| > |
| > | DCR wrote:
| > | > As to declaring the value of your "gift"...
| > | >
| > | > Two years ago I won a very nice trip to Australia, my tax preparer
| > said I would have to declare
| > the
| > | > "fair market value" as extra income.
| > | > If I could find an equal or better equivalent of the same trip I
| > could use that amount for tax
| > | > purposes. The provider of the trip was required by law to report to
| > the IRS my winnings, so
| > there
| > | > was no way to avoid taxes, but I did find a legitimate equivalent at a
| > lower price.
| > |
| > | So, if one can find Vista Business and/or Office Pro advertised on sale
| > | somewhere for less than MS's declared value of them, one can save the ad
| > | for one's records and declare the sale price as the value for income tax
| > | purposes . . . ? And I wonder if one needs to factor in whatever sales
| > | taxes and/or shipping costs would have been involved in getting the
| > | products from the advertiser if one had obtained the products that way?
| > |
| > | >
| > | > I also expect that business use will have different tax implications.
| > | >
| > | >
| > | > | > | > | My guess is that, when filing your income tax forms in 2008 (for
| > 2007),
| > | > | you'll have to declare the declared (by MS) value of your gifts as
| > | > | income earned during 2007 (which will be when you receive your
| > gifts).
| > | > | But since, as MS says, "IRS rules require that any gift over $600 is
| > | > | taxable" (Colin evidently got the amount a bit wrong in his post), I
| > | > | don't know if you'll have to declare the full combined value of
| > around
| > | > | $798 ($499 for Office plus $299 for Vista Business) or only the
| > amount
| > | > | exceeding $600 (which would be around $198), as I have never had to
| > | > | declare a "gift" for income tax purposes before. (I'm going to have
| > to
| > | > | face this issue myself.) But the amount (whatever it is) will have
| > to be
| > | > | included by you (or your tax preparer) as additional income for
| > 2007,
| > | > | and you will be required by law to pay income taxes on that amount
| > just
| > | > | as if you'd earned that amount of money working for it.
| > | > |
| > | > | Another question of interest to me on this subject is, what if you
| > | > | intend to use your gifts in your business and (at least plausibly)
| > would
| > | > | have gone out and purchased Vista and Office anyway for your
| > business
| > | > | computer? In the latter case, the full retail cost (including sales
| > tax)
| > | > | could be deemed a business expense for income tax purposes. In this
| > | > | case, however, the actual cost to someone such as myself will be the
| > | > | cost of whatever additional income taxes I am required to pay as a
| > | > | result of receiving these (otherwise free) gifts. I'm wondering if
| > | > | there's some way to write off the additional tax expense against my
| > | > | business income . . . ?
| > | > |
| > | > | Unless there's a tax expert among us, we'll likely have to wait
| > until
| > | > | tax time in 2008 to see just how much our "free" gifts actually cost
| > us,
| > | > | but it is hard to see how, even after the tax expense, we will not
| > be
| > | > | able to see our gifts as a really good deal for the price.
| > | > |
| > | > | James Welch wrote:
| > | > | > Ok I already knew that, but how much am I looking at here that I'm
| > gonna
| > | > | > have to pay. I had already completed both offers requirements a
| > couple
| > | > | > days before they both sold out.
| > | > | >
| > | > | >
| > | > | >
| > | > | > | > | > | >> If you receive $500 or more in gratuities in a year MS is
| > required to
| > | > | >> report it to the IRS. You are responsible for any taxes. Vista
| > | > | >> Business + Office 2007 is valued at more than $500. If you chose
| > only
| > | > | >> one of them the value would have been less than $500 and no form
| > would
| > | > | >> be needed.
| > | > | >>
| > | > | >> | > | > | >>> I still don't fully understand the tax part. What exactly is a
| > W9
| > | > | >>> form. Will I have to pay tax/money if I want to receive both
| > Vista
| > | > | >>> and Office. Or is this tax information for Microsoft so they
| > won't
| > | > | >>> have to pay tax on this. In short, am I going to have to end up
| > | > | >>> forking out any kind of money for receiving both products, and
| > if
| > | > | >>> yes, what amount am I looking at. I live in Michigan btw.
| > | > | >>
| > | > | >>
| > | >
| > | >
| >
| >