|
Posted by Paul Thomas on April 23, 2008, 8:51 pm
Please log in for more thread options
> I don't know the actual practices.
You can bet your sweet bippies the IRS will know more than you then.
There exists a Market Segment Specialization Program Audit Technique Guide
for musicians, which spells out in detail for the auditor what the practices
are in the industry at various levels and for various types of people in the
music business (artists, managers, producers, promoters, lables, etc and so
on).
> I can see lots of times when it's cheaper to attend a show
> (e.g. I want to see how fancy they can get with the existing
> lighting system; they'll charge me a lot to have their lighting
> engineer come in specially to show me,
Are you just not aware of load-in and sound check? If it's absolutely
necessary for you to see what it looks like and hear what it sounds like,
then contact the manager of the venue and get in the door early. Talk
business, get the tour, listen and look, take notes.
> or I can buy a ticket to a show where they say
> they'll be doing lots of lighting effects.)
I just don't see it at all. If you have a pending show there, or you are
even considering a show there, the venue managemenet would be letting you in
for free - if you're on the up and up. I just don't see the necessity to
atttend a show to obtain what can be had for the cost of a phone call, or an
e-mail which is even less these days. Then again, there's always load in
and sound check.
The incentive for the venue to help you is their reputation for quality
shows, especially on nights that draw the big numbers. The club/bar venues
generally makes the bulk of their profits for the night on beverage sales.
So they are going to work with you to make sure you have the biggest draw
your band can pull, this regardless of what night it is. That's why booking
is a two way street. You might be dying to play there, but they don't want
you.....or they may be dying to have you play there, but you don't want to.
There are trade publications that let the venues know what your draw was at
past shows, as well as the financial payout arrangements. The venues
publish what their house sound and lighting systems are as well as their
back-line (if any).
The venue management knows the area.
They know what types of people attend their venue.
They know what avenue your music needs to market through.
They are the professionals in their market.
They have all the contacts.
And they'll direct you to people and places within your budget.
If your band only does covers, trick lighting and a finely tuned sound
system in a state of the art acoustical venue can't change the fact that no
one wants to hear it.
Athens is a music town. I have clients up and down the music business
chain, from solo performers, bands, managers, booking agents, writers,
promoters, and record lables, to club/venues and music festivals, even a
lutherie or two. I don't know anyone, from the local unknown indie band to
the folks who won a Grammy not all that long ago, that does what you feel
like should be an allowed deduction as an ordinary and necessary business
expense.
But I can tell you it's been tried before, and shot down in a hail of audit
bullets.
--
Paul A. Thomas, CPA
Athens, Georgia
--
<< ------------------------------------------------------- >>
<< The foregoing was not intended or written to be used, >>
<< nor can it used, for the purpose of avoiding penalties >>
<< that may be imposed upon the taxpayer. >>
<< >>
<< The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting posts >>
<< to this newsgroup as well as our anti-spamming policy >>
<< are at www.asktax.org. >>
<< Copyright (2007) - All rights reserved. >>
<< ------------------------------------------------------- >>
|
|
Posted by Dick Adams on April 15, 2008, 6:37 pm
Please log in for more thread options
In the end, everything is a matter of facts amd circumstances.
Last week while judging beer, I was accused of being the
"Russian Judge" meaning I scored lower than than the other
judges, However, in this case of the band manager, I seem
to br scoring highesr.
If this is a situation where the bands get booked 1 to 4
times in a year. Forget it. But if he is booking them
26 or more times, he has an established business and is,
in my rarely humble opinion, entitled to such deductions.
OTOH as he establishes his business, he will need to
create positive relationships with the venue operators
who should be getting him in for free!
When I taught Auditing at the University, I referred
to it as educating bastards,
Dick - I is an Auditor (CPA, CIA, CISA)
--
<< ------------------------------------------------------- >>
<< The foregoing was not intended or written to be used, >>
<< nor can it used, for the purpose of avoiding penalties >>
<< that may be imposed upon the taxpayer. >>
<< >>
<< The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting posts >>
<< to this newsgroup as well as our anti-spamming policy >>
<< are at www.asktax.org. >>
<< Copyright (2007) - All rights reserved. >>
<< ------------------------------------------------------- >>
|
|
Posted by Seth on April 14, 2008, 3:39 pm
Please log in for more thread options >> "I talked to some customers to learn how they found out about this
>> show, to decide where and how I should promote mine."
>
>And you had to have how many beers to do that?
No beers on my expenses.
>You could:
>Stand outside and take a survey of patrons entering or exiting the
>establishment.
If they'll talk to me; they won't on their way in, and they're too
drunk on their way out.
>Call and ask the band performing that night how ~they~ marketed their show.
That says what they did, not which parts of it *worked*.
>Call and ask the venue what marketing ~they~ do to promote the show.
See above.
>Find out what radio stations and entertainment publications cater to your
>band's audience demographics in that area.
See above.
>Some of that - hell - most of that can be done from your desk. And if you
>absolutely had to go to that venue, you didn't have to go in to the show of
>some other band to get what you needed to know.
But it helped.
>If you don't know how to market/promote the bands you promote/manage, then
>you should let the band know you don't know how to help them.
If you think you know everything already without any market research,
I don't want to hire you for anything I care about that involves
selling to the public.
>Do you really have to go see the other band perform their entire set to get
>that information?
They wouldn't sell me a discount ticket for half a set.
>Do you have to have a dozen beers to get that data?
>Did you have to travel that far and spend the night to glean some nuggets of
>information that may or may not help promote your bands show?
In my professional opinion, it was worth the effort.
Seth
--
<< ------------------------------------------------------- >>
<< The foregoing was not intended or written to be used, >>
<< nor can it used, for the purpose of avoiding penalties >>
<< that may be imposed upon the taxpayer. >>
<< >>
<< The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting posts >>
<< to this newsgroup as well as our anti-spamming policy >>
<< are at www.asktax.org. >>
<< Copyright (2007) - All rights reserved. >>
<< ------------------------------------------------------- >>
|
|
Posted by D. Stussy on April 12, 2008, 7:56 pm
Please log in for more thread options
>
> >> Can entertainment expenses be deductible in
> >> these cases: rock concerts if you're a manager
> >> of a rock band and have to go to concerts to
> >> evaluate the market (studying sounds, acoustics,
> >> clientele). Anything else?
>
> > 50%
>
> I agree it's 50% if you take a date with you.
> Otherwise these are "Scouting Costs" at 100%,
> not entertainment expenses.
>
> >> Can meals be deductible in full for these cases:
> >> dog food if you're a dog walker, food for
> >> children if you're a daycare worker. Anything
> >> else?
>
> > 100% of these costs.
I disagree in part. 100% of dog food that the DOG eats. 50% that any
person eats! ;-)
--
<< ------------------------------------------------------- >>
<< The foregoing was not intended or written to be used, >>
<< nor can it used, for the purpose of avoiding penalties >>
<< that may be imposed upon the taxpayer. >>
<< >>
<< The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting posts >>
<< to this newsgroup as well as our anti-spamming policy >>
<< are at www.asktax.org. >>
<< Copyright (2007) - All rights reserved. >>
<< ------------------------------------------------------- >>
|
|
Posted by Paul Thomas on April 12, 2008, 8:13 pm
Please log in for more thread options
> I disagree in part. 100% of dog food that the DOG eats. 50% that any
> person eats! ;-)
Gross.
--
Paul A. Thomas, CPA
Athens, Georgia
--
<< ------------------------------------------------------- >>
<< The foregoing was not intended or written to be used, >>
<< nor can it used, for the purpose of avoiding penalties >>
<< that may be imposed upon the taxpayer. >>
<< >>
<< The Charter and the Guidelines for submitting posts >>
<< to this newsgroup as well as our anti-spamming policy >>
<< are at www.asktax.org. >>
<< Copyright (2007) - All rights reserved. >>
<< ------------------------------------------------------- >>
|
| Similar Threads | Posted | | Entertainment and business meals | March 25, 2008, 6:54 pm |
| Re: Entertainment and business meals | March 25, 2008, 10:48 pm |
| Entertainment and Meals expense in Canada | February 25, 2007, 12:01 am |
| moving expenses / paying for mileage and meals of helpers | December 21, 2007, 11:19 pm |
| Four months a full time student? | January 12, 2007, 2:47 am |
| Dependent? Son age 24, military discharged, living at home, full-time student | April 2, 2007, 5:58 pm |
| Is this deductible | November 30, 2007, 1:51 pm |
| Assets Deductible? | February 12, 2007, 12:04 am |
| points deductible? | March 12, 2007, 4:54 am |
| Deductible IRA without Wages? | March 24, 2008, 1:28 pm |
|
|
Yahoo! 
Google 
Windows Live 
del.icio.us 
digg 
Netscape 
XML Sitemap