According to the link in the article you quoted, Pontiac covered the taxes and customization.
I always find it is the best course of action not to speak on things about which I have little knowledge. The IRS considers gifts such as those provided by Oprah as taxable income in the amount the item costs. Say the car costs $20,000. Imagine two people each with $100,000 in income, both identical in every way. One goes out and buys the car for $20,000, the other receives it as a gift. Now the one who bought it has $80,000 and a $20,000 car. The other has $100,000 and a $20,000 car. The IRS's logic is such that Pontiac, in a roundabout way, gave $20,000 to the audience member, who then used the $20,000 to buy a car. Receiving that money was a taxable event, even though the middle step of receiving, then spending, the money was skipped.
When it says that Pontiac paid the taxes on the cars, the people were still subject to the same tax. If the tax were $1000, then Pontiac gave them $1000 on top of the car, and the audience member received $21,000 in taxable income. This would take the tax due up to $1050. Getting upset about paying $1000 tax on the $20,000 received is the same as getting upset about paying the $50 tax on the $1000 received, it's just a measure of scale. The idiots might say, "Thank you Pontiac! Now I only owe $50 tax on the car!" But in reality, they could have accepted Pontiac's $1000, sold the car on the open market for fair value and now had $21,000 cash, on which they would owe $1000 tax, leaving $21,000 cash; they then pay the $1050 tax and have $19,950 cash. Or they could pick the car and the money from Pontiac, which would mean they have a car, $1000, and a $1050 payment to the IRS, leaving a car and a $50 tax payment out-of-pocket.
I think Oprah more than destroyed and discredited James Frey's career as a writer when she found out the whole book was a lie.
Not to mention the secret weirdo who went on to kill people (manslaughter) in his sweat lodge. I wonder if she would have endorsed Jim Jones if she had been around during his time?
For all the hardcore techies (if you read an Apple rumor blog, this is you) who dismiss the iPad as useless or dumbed down, this should be a cue to who might be buying these things in the future.
Have you ever heard Opera gush about her MacBook Pro and how its Core i7 processor has a Geekbench score of over 6,000? My mom watches Oprah, not Engadget.
Yes, but didn't Gizmodo recently appear on an edition of COPS...
As if to emphasise your first point, here's today's tech feel good story on the BBC site...the_99yearold_ipad_user
Fekk that psycho! Who wants an endorsement by someone who brings quacks on their show scaring people into NOT getting their kids vaccinated -- which WILL result in unprotected kids dying!!!!!?? She has all these quacks and sounds like a damn cult leader. she's a fraud that cares only about money - no better than Limbaugh or Beck, etc. Ugh. AI - ugh!!
Ok, I just LOL'd that you put Oprah in the same category as Limbaugh and Beck. I'd say that's a horrible insult to everyone involved!
I always find it is the best course of action not to speak on things about which I have little knowledge. The IRS considers gifts such as those provided by Oprah as taxable income in the amount the item costs. Say the car costs $20,000. Imagine two people each with $100,000 in income, both identical in every way. One goes out and buys the car for $20,000, the other receives it as a gift. Now the one who bought it has $80,000 and a $20,000 car. The other has $100,000 and a $20,000 car. The IRS's logic is such that Pontiac, in a roundabout way, gave $20,000 to the audience member, who then used the $20,000 to buy a car. Receiving that money was a taxable event, even though the middle step of receiving, then spending, the money was skipped.
When it says that Pontiac paid the taxes on the cars, the people were still subject to the same tax. If the tax were $1000, then Pontiac gave them $1000 on top of the car, and the audience member received $21,000 in taxable income. This would take the tax due up to $1050. Getting upset about paying $1000 tax on the $20,000 received is the same as getting upset about paying the $50 tax on the $1000 received, it's just a measure of scale. The idiots might say, "Thank you Pontiac! Now I only owe $50 tax on the car!" But in reality, they could have accepted Pontiac's $1000, sold the car on the open market for fair value and now had $21,000 cash, on which they would owe $1000 tax, leaving $21,000 cash; they then pay the $1050 tax and have $19,950 cash. Or they could pick the car and the money from Pontiac, which would mean they have a car, $1000, and a $1050 payment to the IRS, leaving a car and a $50 tax payment out-of-pocket.
Chances are it was just uniformly grossed-up to the average middle class %. But yes, the main point is that you should NEVER take the car/vehicle/prize when you can get the cash.
Don't forget her pathetic endorsement of all Obama
There is a separate forum named PoliticalOutsider specifically for all the political rants and raves and whatnot. Kindly take this crap over there, as it doesn't belong here. Remember that you agreed to keep this crap out of the the regular forums when you agreed to the ToS in your signup.
You guys are so funny! It's a bloody device (OK a very cool and magical bloody device) and she's a celebrity who brings a lot of cred with her fans. Whatever else she may have done or said (and she frankly is no Charles Mason for you finicky types), the endorsement is a good one for Apple.
Any number of celebrities are fans and/or have endorsed Apple's product at one time or another - including Bono/U2, Karl Rove, Stephen Fry, Kevin Costner, Chris Rock, Dave Chapelle, Jason Varitek (Red Sox), Tom Hamilton (Aerosmith), J.J. Abrams, Alicia Keyes, Cameron Diaz, Kim Kardashian, Rush Limbaugh, Michelle Rodriguez, Jon Stewart, Steven Colbert, Barak Obama, Angelina Jolie and Penelope Cruz to name a few. These obviously arrive from all up and down the political spectrum, so lets lighten up on the cred panic and bask in the iPad purchase surge sure to follow. Better get in line a little earlier this Friday - cuz you don't want some 'Bucked up suburban soccer mom getting all Angelina on your geeky ass.
You guys are so funny! It's a bloody device (OK a very cool and magical bloody device) and she's a celebrity who brings a lot of cred with her fans. Whatever else she may have done or said (and she frankly is no Charles Mason for you finicky types), the endorsement is a good one for Apple.
No kidding. So many people with such an obvious need to feel superior.
It just goes to show how misinformed you are of the impact of people like Oprah, and the good things she has accomplished.
I do not care much about the others you cited.
I have seen some of her shows, although on very rare occasion. Not my kind of thing to watch on a regular basis but she has her role to play, especially to a sizable segment of our society that we derisively call, soccer Moms, etc.
She may have done more good than many of us combined.
I bet many authors, and companies would dearly love to get her endorsement. Even Apple would love to reach his fan base. In fact, they are a part of the demographic based that Apple is targeting.
CGC
I don't dispute for a second that she's done a great deal of good. And with the popularity of her show she has the ability to do much good. Unfortunately she's often MISused her influence, too
the only reason Oprah is endorsing the iPad is because it's another vehicle for her to make money on her book of the month club. Notice how her SPOKESPERSON said she still uses the Kindle, too [can't upset the kindle people and risk losing another Harpo Cash Cow]
i guarantee Oprah would have said the iPad was incredible even if it were as functional and intuitive as a Microsoft Mira.
There is a separate forum named PoliticalOutsider specifically for all the political rants and raves and whatnot. Kindly take this crap over there, as it doesn't belong here. Remember that you agreed to keep this crap out of the the regular forums when you agreed to the ToS in your signup.
This ☝
Quote:
Originally Posted by str1f3
I don't watch Oprah because I'm a guy but I'm willing to bet that she's done more to better this world than you have.
Oprah=sales. Period.
This ☝
Quote:
Originally Posted by masternav
You guys are so funny! It's a bloody device (OK a very cool and magical bloody device) and she's a celebrity who brings a lot of cred with her fans. Whatever else she may have done or said (and she frankly is no Charles Mason for you finicky types), the endorsement is a good one for Apple.
Any number of celebrities are fans and/or have endorsed Apple's product at one time or another - including Bono/U2, Karl Rove, Stephen Fry, Kevin Costner, Chris Rock, Dave Chapelle, Jason Varitek (Red Sox), Tom Hamilton (Aerosmith), J.J. Abrams, Alicia Keyes, Cameron Diaz, Kim Kardashian, Rush Limbaugh, Michelle Rodriguez, Jon Stewart, Steven Colbert, Barak Obama, Angelina Jolie and Penelope Cruz to name a few. These obviously arrive from all up and down the political spectrum, so lets lighten up on the cred panic and bask in the iPad pruchase surge sure to follow. Better get in line a little earlier this Friday - cuz you don't want some 'Bucked up suburban soccer mom getting all Angelina on your geeky ass.
I don't watch Oprah because I'm a guy but I'm willing to bet that she's done more to better this world than you have.
Oprah=sales. Period.
I would not disagree...
However, did the money make the person of did the person make the money... Anyone with lots of money can do lots of good things especially when they know spreading it around will help them.
was Oprah this great person form day one, and because she was good person and did all the right things the money came her way. Or did she happen to be in the right place and came into the money and she then used it to make herself even look better.
I would say the money made the person, since she obviously has a self control issue just watch her weight going up and down, every time it goes up she throws money at it to make it go back down. Verse being self disciplined and just working at daily.
So anyone with money can appear to be this great person, Just look at Andrew Carnegie, he spread lots of money around and did many things for the good of people, his money is still giving today but he was a mean and nasty person.
I always find it is the best course of action not to speak on things about which I have little knowledge...
My bad. Though I was well aware of everything you described (a friend had recently won a new Mustang in a raffle and he went through the whole process you described), I mistakenly assumed which taxes Pontiac was covering. They covered the state taxes, not the income taxes the recipients ended up owing on the vehicles. I pulled a Homer Simpson, Doh!
Comments
According to the link in the article you quoted, Pontiac covered the taxes and customization.
I always find it is the best course of action not to speak on things about which I have little knowledge. The IRS considers gifts such as those provided by Oprah as taxable income in the amount the item costs. Say the car costs $20,000. Imagine two people each with $100,000 in income, both identical in every way. One goes out and buys the car for $20,000, the other receives it as a gift. Now the one who bought it has $80,000 and a $20,000 car. The other has $100,000 and a $20,000 car. The IRS's logic is such that Pontiac, in a roundabout way, gave $20,000 to the audience member, who then used the $20,000 to buy a car. Receiving that money was a taxable event, even though the middle step of receiving, then spending, the money was skipped.
When it says that Pontiac paid the taxes on the cars, the people were still subject to the same tax. If the tax were $1000, then Pontiac gave them $1000 on top of the car, and the audience member received $21,000 in taxable income. This would take the tax due up to $1050. Getting upset about paying $1000 tax on the $20,000 received is the same as getting upset about paying the $50 tax on the $1000 received, it's just a measure of scale. The idiots might say, "Thank you Pontiac! Now I only owe $50 tax on the car!" But in reality, they could have accepted Pontiac's $1000, sold the car on the open market for fair value and now had $21,000 cash, on which they would owe $1000 tax, leaving $21,000 cash; they then pay the $1050 tax and have $19,950 cash. Or they could pick the car and the money from Pontiac, which would mean they have a car, $1000, and a $1050 payment to the IRS, leaving a car and a $50 tax payment out-of-pocket.
Gush is such a loaded word.
loaded with what?
I think Oprah more than destroyed and discredited James Frey's career as a writer when she found out the whole book was a lie.
Not to mention the secret weirdo who went on to kill people (manslaughter) in his sweat lodge. I wonder if she would have endorsed Jim Jones if she had been around during his time?
For all the hardcore techies (if you read an Apple rumor blog, this is you) who dismiss the iPad as useless or dumbed down, this should be a cue to who might be buying these things in the future.
Have you ever heard Opera gush about her MacBook Pro and how its Core i7 processor has a Geekbench score of over 6,000? My mom watches Oprah, not Engadget.
Yes, but didn't Gizmodo recently appear on an edition of COPS...
As if to emphasise your first point, here's today's tech feel good story on the BBC site...the_99yearold_ipad_user
McCain!!! hey... is that you?
Pelosi!! hey...is that you?
Fekk that psycho! Who wants an endorsement by someone who brings quacks on their show scaring people into NOT getting their kids vaccinated -- which WILL result in unprotected kids dying!!!!!?? She has all these quacks and sounds like a damn cult leader. she's a fraud that cares only about money - no better than Limbaugh or Beck, etc. Ugh. AI - ugh!!
Ok, I just LOL'd that you put Oprah in the same category as Limbaugh and Beck. I'd say that's a horrible insult to everyone involved!
I always find it is the best course of action not to speak on things about which I have little knowledge. The IRS considers gifts such as those provided by Oprah as taxable income in the amount the item costs. Say the car costs $20,000. Imagine two people each with $100,000 in income, both identical in every way. One goes out and buys the car for $20,000, the other receives it as a gift. Now the one who bought it has $80,000 and a $20,000 car. The other has $100,000 and a $20,000 car. The IRS's logic is such that Pontiac, in a roundabout way, gave $20,000 to the audience member, who then used the $20,000 to buy a car. Receiving that money was a taxable event, even though the middle step of receiving, then spending, the money was skipped.
When it says that Pontiac paid the taxes on the cars, the people were still subject to the same tax. If the tax were $1000, then Pontiac gave them $1000 on top of the car, and the audience member received $21,000 in taxable income. This would take the tax due up to $1050. Getting upset about paying $1000 tax on the $20,000 received is the same as getting upset about paying the $50 tax on the $1000 received, it's just a measure of scale. The idiots might say, "Thank you Pontiac! Now I only owe $50 tax on the car!" But in reality, they could have accepted Pontiac's $1000, sold the car on the open market for fair value and now had $21,000 cash, on which they would owe $1000 tax, leaving $21,000 cash; they then pay the $1050 tax and have $19,950 cash. Or they could pick the car and the money from Pontiac, which would mean they have a car, $1000, and a $1050 payment to the IRS, leaving a car and a $50 tax payment out-of-pocket.
Chances are it was just uniformly grossed-up to the average middle class %. But yes, the main point is that you should NEVER take the car/vehicle/prize when you can get the cash.
Don't forget her pathetic endorsement of all Obama
There is a separate forum named PoliticalOutsider specifically for all the political rants and raves and whatnot. Kindly take this crap over there, as it doesn't belong here. Remember that you agreed to keep this crap out of the the regular forums when you agreed to the ToS in your signup.
Yes, and MTV can take the hint if they do change the name.
I agree, not what it was that is for sure, same goes for VH1.
Ugh. Oprah.
I don't watch Oprah because I'm a guy but I'm willing to bet that she's done more to better this world than you have.
Oprah=sales. Period.
Any number of celebrities are fans and/or have endorsed Apple's product at one time or another - including Bono/U2, Karl Rove, Stephen Fry, Kevin Costner, Chris Rock, Dave Chapelle, Jason Varitek (Red Sox), Tom Hamilton (Aerosmith), J.J. Abrams, Alicia Keyes, Cameron Diaz, Kim Kardashian, Rush Limbaugh, Michelle Rodriguez, Jon Stewart, Steven Colbert, Barak Obama, Angelina Jolie and Penelope Cruz to name a few. These obviously arrive from all up and down the political spectrum, so lets lighten up on the cred panic and bask in the iPad purchase surge sure to follow. Better get in line a little earlier this Friday - cuz you don't want some 'Bucked up suburban soccer mom getting all Angelina on your geeky ass.
Don't forget her pathetic endorsement of all Obama
Unlike you she has actually talked to Obama instead of just going off of Republican talking points. Go Bush, huh?
You guys are so funny! It's a bloody device (OK a very cool and magical bloody device) and she's a celebrity who brings a lot of cred with her fans. Whatever else she may have done or said (and she frankly is no Charles Mason for you finicky types), the endorsement is a good one for Apple.
No kidding. So many people with such an obvious need to feel superior.
It just goes to show how misinformed you are of the impact of people like Oprah, and the good things she has accomplished.
I do not care much about the others you cited.
I have seen some of her shows, although on very rare occasion. Not my kind of thing to watch on a regular basis but she has her role to play, especially to a sizable segment of our society that we derisively call, soccer Moms, etc.
She may have done more good than many of us combined.
I bet many authors, and companies would dearly love to get her endorsement. Even Apple would love to reach his fan base. In fact, they are a part of the demographic based that Apple is targeting.
CGC
I don't dispute for a second that she's done a great deal of good. And with the popularity of her show she has the ability to do much good. Unfortunately she's often MISused her influence, too
i guarantee Oprah would have said the iPad was incredible even if it were as functional and intuitive as a Microsoft Mira.
Save your political discussion for Political Outsider. There's a "reason" why we separate those discussion from the more computer oriented topics.
There is a separate forum named PoliticalOutsider specifically for all the political rants and raves and whatnot. Kindly take this crap over there, as it doesn't belong here. Remember that you agreed to keep this crap out of the the regular forums when you agreed to the ToS in your signup.
This ☝
I don't watch Oprah because I'm a guy but I'm willing to bet that she's done more to better this world than you have.
Oprah=sales. Period.
This ☝
You guys are so funny! It's a bloody device (OK a very cool and magical bloody device) and she's a celebrity who brings a lot of cred with her fans. Whatever else she may have done or said (and she frankly is no Charles Mason for you finicky types), the endorsement is a good one for Apple.
Any number of celebrities are fans and/or have endorsed Apple's product at one time or another - including Bono/U2, Karl Rove, Stephen Fry, Kevin Costner, Chris Rock, Dave Chapelle, Jason Varitek (Red Sox), Tom Hamilton (Aerosmith), J.J. Abrams, Alicia Keyes, Cameron Diaz, Kim Kardashian, Rush Limbaugh, Michelle Rodriguez, Jon Stewart, Steven Colbert, Barak Obama, Angelina Jolie and Penelope Cruz to name a few. These obviously arrive from all up and down the political spectrum, so lets lighten up on the cred panic and bask in the iPad pruchase surge sure to follow. Better get in line a little earlier this Friday - cuz you don't want some 'Bucked up suburban soccer mom getting all Angelina on your geeky ass.
And this ☝
I don't watch Oprah because I'm a guy but I'm willing to bet that she's done more to better this world than you have.
Oprah=sales. Period.
I would not disagree...
However, did the money make the person of did the person make the money... Anyone with lots of money can do lots of good things especially when they know spreading it around will help them.
was Oprah this great person form day one, and because she was good person and did all the right things the money came her way. Or did she happen to be in the right place and came into the money and she then used it to make herself even look better.
I would say the money made the person, since she obviously has a self control issue just watch her weight going up and down, every time it goes up she throws money at it to make it go back down. Verse being self disciplined and just working at daily.
So anyone with money can appear to be this great person, Just look at Andrew Carnegie, he spread lots of money around and did many things for the good of people, his money is still giving today but he was a mean and nasty person.
Guys
Save your political discussion for Political Outsider. There's a "reason" why we separate those discussion from the more computer oriented topics.
Thanks Murch! The *lack* of political-oriented rants is part of what makes AI forums great!
I always find it is the best course of action not to speak on things about which I have little knowledge...
My bad. Though I was well aware of everything you described (a friend had recently won a new Mustang in a raffle and he went through the whole process you described), I mistakenly assumed which taxes Pontiac was covering. They covered the state taxes, not the income taxes the recipients ended up owing on the vehicles. I pulled a Homer Simpson, Doh!