Many curiosities can add up to a tax bill, from belt buckles to deer carcasses, and even more, unusual ones are deductible.
Alabama: Confederate veterans
They initially used the tax to administer the Alabama Confederate Hospital. Howe, the hospital closed 80 years ago and redirected the funds to maintaining Confederate Memorial Park at Mountain Creek. The tax raised $400,000 in revenue, and the park is one of the state’s best-maintained public facilities.
Alaska: whaling deductions
The captains of whaling boats in Alaska enjoy a generous allowance of $10,000, written off when they spend on boat repairs and whaling costs. The only drawback is that whaling in Alaska has been illegal worldwide since 1920. Whaling was banned worldwide in 1986, but the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission recognized an indigenous group as a notable exception.
Arizona: ice
Temperatures in Arizona have recently risen above 100 degrees Celsius, and some as low as -100 degrees Celsius (or more).
Ice cubes are exempt from VAT if they are intended for use in mixed drinks. Block ice, which is not used in beverages, is taxable, so cooling the living room in an old-fashioned way with an ice block is out of the question for fans.
Arkansas: tattoos
Arkansas residents who are fans of tattoos and piercings may want to leave the state to do their body art. As a result, some states impose a hefty 6% value-added tax on body art.
Electrolysis falls into this category because some hirsute Arkansans are in a hairy situation.
California: vending machine fruit
California is known for its fruit industry, and if you pick an apple or orange at a grocery store in California, you don’t pay sales tax. But if you buy it at the vending machine, you should be willing to spend more. California levies a 3.3% tax on fruit bought at vending machines, and no one knows why.
Colorado: coffee cup lids
If you drink a coffee while in Colorado, you may notice an additional charge on your bill. Coffee cups and lids are considered actual packaging in Colorado and are subject to a 2.9% levy.
Connecticut: diapers exemption
Parents accustomed to paying an additional $6.35 VAT on disposable and reusable nappies will be relieved to find that nappies will be exempt from the tax from July 2018. The average American baby squeezes through 3,796 nappies before being educated.
Delaware: corporations
Delaware is home to nearly half of America’s publicly traded companies, but not every Delawarean is as entrepreneurial as the rest of the country. As a result, Delaware has one of the lowest corporate tax rates, at 8.7%.
District of Columbia: healthy living
If you try to live a healthy lifestyle in the capital, you will get mixed signals from the District of Columbia and local governments. While it introduced the controversial 5.75% sugar tax to stop the spread of obesity, the District of Columbia also taxes gyms at the same rate.
Florida: rent-a-cow loophole
It is well known that property developers in large corporations exploit a tax loophole to protect farmland. The law taxes farmland at a lower rate to protect the land. But developers and big corporations have cows rent out and fence them in certain corners of the property to take advantage of the lower tax rate.
Georgia: cigars
Georgia, however, levies a whopping 23% sales tax on Cubans. If you are a fan of Cubans, you might want to buy them elsewhere than in Georgia. This law dates to 1959, when orange groves were paved to make room for strip malls, but there is no reasonable explanation for why it still exists today.
Hawaii: exceptional trees
Hawaii prides itself on its lush scenery and natural beauty. It should be no surprise that the state has passed several laws protecting its natural beauty.
A Hawaiian homeowner who has one or more exceptional trees on his property has the right to deduct the cost associated with tree care and well-being up to $3,000 per tree.