Just because something is fun doesn’t mean it’s not also a legitimate business expense! (Or so I’ll be telling my accountant.) Or do what this one farmer did as he took to TikTok to prove his accountant wrong in a video that’s left the masses wheezing with laughter — and his barn floor squeaky-clean.
Prolific TikTok user @tiktoksfavoritefarmer opens the video with an address to his accountant, stating that the video is for his accountant and only his accountant, before going on to provide truly incontrovertible evidence that a recent purchase of his is strictly for business use.
With almost one million views since its upload, the video proved very popular on the platform as Zachary documented his totally ironclad business case for his self-balancing scooter, popularly known as “segways” or in some cases, “hoverboards.”
Showing off the scooter’s ability to completely revolutionize sweeping his barn, thanks to its ease of use and the fact that it speeds up the process, Zachary is triumphant. He even declares that he could “sweep an entire village in 32 minutes” thanks to the time-saving appliance, while also boasting that his “sweeping efficiency numbers are so high.” This is a guy who has the data to back up his claims!
If I were his accountant, I’d have to believe him. He’s even provided video evidence! Give the guy a (tax) break. Legions of viewers took to TikTok in support of him. Some users claiming to be accountants agreed the purchase looked like a valid business expense, saying: “I’m not your accountant. But I am an accountant. Looks like an operating expense to me,” and “100% a business expense. Signed, an actual Accountant.”
While some users were happy to consider the business case for the scooter, others were more interested in the “beef” Zachary had with his accountant, with one saying: “I love when people have soft beef with their accountants.” Some couldn’t help but chuckle at the emphasis Zachary puts on conveying his true sentiments to his accountant, convincing one that “this is not the first time they’ve had this conversation.”
“The “it IS for farm use” felt personal.”
Some users shared their own stories of unusual expense claims, with one user joking about passing off their dog as a necessity: “This was me trying to claim my golden retriever as security for my home business.” Another stated that their cats count as pest control: “I have two cats at my work shop and they are categorized as pest control.”
But we can see where Zach’s accountant is coming from. As per Capture Expense, business expense fraud is a legal offense and what is happening here is the misclassification of an expense where a personal purchase is being painted as a business-related buy in order to get reimbursement. But we are talking about a revolution here — as Zach would say — and convincing his accountant, who is evidently being very, very cautious.
Well, apart from being exceptionally hilarious, the short clip also got Zachary a whole load of support for his claim that the scooter is a business expense. One user even said, “I know a tax write off when I see one.” The next time his accountant disagrees, all Zachary needs to do is show her this video! The proof is in the pudding — or in this case, the sweeping.