Imagine that!
Some pu$$y at the IRS insisted recipients of gift bags pay the 25% gift tax on the RETAIL VALUE almost immediately upon receipt. As such gift bags have been all but killed. The "gifts" were previously treated as promotonal SWAG and thus were considered to be of minimal value and a promotional expense of the gifting companies.
Did I say the IRS is a bunch of *******?
Rocketman
""Swag" - expensive freebies from companies hoping to associate their product with celebrities - has become easy money, even by Hollywood standards, over the past decade. "Gifting", which is now a verb here, at last year's Oscars topped more than $US100,000 ($126,000au) and included a 60GB iPod, a vintage Kay Unger silk kimono, six nights at a Hawaiian resort and the latest BlackBerry."
http://www.news.com.au/business/story/0,23636,21276463-462,00.html
Sounds like no gift bag I ever received. Companies hoping to associate their products with celebrities never, ever, won my purchasing dollar - be it Hollywood, Musicians or Sports stars. When it comes to that aspect of things, I'm not just another Apple "Lemmings" commercial but rather I "Think Different"
It is good to see some in Hollywood donate these non earned gift bags to charity, whereas, others demand them as if what, they are Royalty? I for one am glad that the IRS is doing what they are doing. Afterall, shouldn't these bleeding heart, liberal leftists, who are out to save the world and seem to take up every cause known to man sport a dime more than the "average joe" out there in their audience? Let all of them put their money where their mouths are! Unfortunately, they'll find a loophole around the government's attempt to collect, now what was that favorite liberal phrase, oh yes, "to pay their fair share". Yup, like The Kennedy's did when they moved their wealth to offshore accounts, perfectly legal and on the up and up, but that wealth is never accounted for in the annual rituals of claiming one's wealth to the taxman. But 'ole Teddy boy is quick to get in your pockets!
As for me, I haven't watched the Oscars since 1997. I see one, maybe two movies a year if it gets my attention and looks like it might be entertaining. Unfortunately, most movies seem to be nothing but tripe, filled with no talent actors making a waste of fine celluloid. Occassionally, Hollywood will hit one out of the park but for most of them, they are not worth a hard earned penny but that's just my opinion.
So I'll have to wait to see the iPhone commercial at some other time, if this rumor holds true.
iPhone is still not approved by the FCC so it cannot be sold yet, but it's not to early to advertised for it. And I'm suprised that Apple has pushed the Apple TV more.
