Tonight’s Golden Globes would normally usher in series of Hollywood award shows and a spate of posts on the tax consequences of the "swag" (gift bags) received by celebrity nominees and presenters. But the New York Times reports that the swag has fallen victim to the writers’ strike (Awards Season, and the Swag Goes to … Few, by Brooks Barnes):
The Hollywood writers’ strike has claimed many casualties in the past few weeks, including this Sunday’s Golden Globes award ceremony, an important precursor to the Oscars. And now it threatens another beloved Tinseltown institution: the swag bag.
In addition to statuettes and red-carpet exposure, celebrities at the movie industry’s big award shows get their choice of free luxury items donated by companies looking to promote their products. …
In a typical year, only high-profile nominees and presenters are invited to the gift suites. But for many celebrities, solidarity with their striking brethren is seen as more important than their inalienable right to free stuff. “For an A-list star, attending a gift suite during a strike would result in an instant loss of stature,” said Dale Olson, a Hollywood publicist who has advised stars from Marilyn Monroe to Shirley MacLaine. “I would advise them not to go anywhere near such an abomination.”
(Hat Tip: Ann Murphy.) Prior TaxProf Blog coverage:
- An Inconvenient Truth: "Green" Replacement for Oscar Gift Bags Poses Tax Problems for Academy and Hollywood Stars (2/28/07)
- IRS, Hollywood Settle Dispute over Tax Treatment of Gift Bags at Golden Globe Awards (1/10/07)
- Tax at the Emmy Awards (8/28/06)
- USA Today on IRS-Hollywood Swag Accord (8/24/06)
- IRS and Holloywood Reach Accord on Gift Bags (8/18/06)
- Tax Consequences of Holloywood Swag (8/14/06)
- More on Tax Consequences of Oscar Gift Bags (5/17/06)
- IRS at the Oscars (3/4/06)
- Celebrity Tax Lore: The Oscars (3/1/06)
- Tax Consequences of Hollywood Swag (2/16/06)
