With tax filing season set to begin on January 31, 2014, Compton rapper Game took some time to share a few tax tips while speaking with TMZ. When asked to reveal the craziest thing a rapper can write off on their taxes, Game went on to list Jordans, medical marijuana, and “making it rain” at the strip club as alleged write offs.
“I be writing off—you can damn near write off anything, man,” Game said. “You can write off strip club, making it rain. You can write that off. That’s number one…Number two, you can write off J’s. Buying Jordans. Number three, you can write off buying medical marijuana…It’s a write off. I’m trying to keep myself alive out here.”
Shortly following Game’s remarks on tax write offs, Forbes published a news story discrediting Game’s rapper write-off claims.
According to Forbes’ writer Kelly Phillips Erb, “To claim a deduction for business expenses, the Internal Revenue Service requires, at Section 162 of the Tax Code, that it be ‘ordinary and necessary.’” The writer later states that while a strip club visit may be considered “ordinary” for Game due to his career, it’s unclear if such a visit falls under the “necessary” category.
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Additionally, Jordans can only be considered a write off if they’re for business purposes and as far as medical marijuana is concerned, Forbes reports that “you generally can’t deduct expenses which are illegal.”
While Game’s list of items rappers can write off on their taxes may not be completely accurate, the rapper does stand a chance of possibly writing off his charitable contributions when tax season does begin. Game has donated his money to a number of people and organizations this year including the family of a six-year-old girl killed in Los Angeles, and Anna Angel, a woman whose family perished in a house fire earlier this year.
In addition to his various charitable contributions this year, Game may possibly end the year as an artist signed to Cash Money Records. The rapper spoke on a possible deal with the label during an interview with KarenCivil.com this month.
“It definitely could work,” he said, “I got a relationship with Wayne, Drizzy, and Stunna. It’s just trying to figure out what’s the best for Cash Money and what’s the best for Game at this point in his career. That’s pretty much family and that’s where I’m at at this point. Of course, nothing is written in stone, but that’s where I’m leaning, so, we’ll see.”
