Nora claimed that celebrities like herself spent an exorbitant amount to maintain their appearance as this was crucial for their careers. Hence, she felt the cost spent by artistes to “look good” in public should be recognised as an occupational cost.
To be completely honest, when I first read it, I wore an uneasy smirk on my face – you know, the kind you usually have when you’re experiencing a bad tummy ache but try your best to hide? But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.
Seriously, having tax exemptions for a list of “expenses” recognised as occupational costs can really shift a whole load off our shoulders.
Take me, for example. As a columnist, playwright and scriptwriter, one of my occupational costs is food expenses. Day in day out, I have to sit in mamak shops, kopitiams, cafés and restaurants hoping for inspiration and insight from the people around me – this helps me write stories which reflect the lives of ordinary Malaysians. If only I could enjoy tax exemption for my F&B expenses as per the “Nora Danish Tax Exemption Proposal”, it would be simply marvellous.
My work also involves a lot of creativity – working on real life documentaries and television shows requires me to indulge in a lot of thinking and analysis of real-life conditions. Writing for my theatre pieces meanwhile challenges me to think out of the box. Like computers crashing when overworked, my brain too has a tendency of doing that. Thus, I need a few short and extended “time-out” sessions to allow my brain the chance to recuperate and keep up with my daily work demands. Therefore, the expenditure incurred by trips to spas, reflexology centres as well as holiday packages should also be recognised as among my occupational costs.
At times, I am required to interview well-known personalities. I cannot possibly meet them dressed shabbily. Like Nora Danish, I too have to look good, colour my face, spray litres of perfume behind my ears and put on a nice, classy outfit – and as I see it, all these are also my occupational costs.
What else…what else…
Oh yes! You know, as a writer, I have no other alternative but to work on computers and laptops every day – so much so that I think my eyesight is deteriorating. An annual eye check up with the ophthalmologist and a new pair of snazzy spectacles every year, by right, should also be bundled into my occupational costs under the “Nora Danish Tax Exemption Proposal”.
I would also need to include my manicure expenses, for I have a habit of biting my nails during my writing process. If left untreated, my nails may get infected and I may not be able to use my fingers any longer when keying-in my stories – thus can’t do any work. So manicures should also come under my occupational costs (YAY!).
Yeah.
Just as I was completing this article, I came across a new piece of information from the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) clarifying that Nora Danish was actually entitled to tax exemptions for the “appearance cost” incurred.
According to the IRB, celebrities’ make-up purchases, make-up artist fees, clothing purchases, clothing rental expenditures, artiste management costs, advertising costs and whatever actual spending incurred by them to meet the demands of their profession, are deductible under “operational costs” and not “occupational costs”.
Walao wei – in that case Nora Danish and her celebrity friends can also apply for tax exemptions on botox, facelifts, tummy tucks, cosmetic surgery and even Brazilian waxing lah!
Apart from that, the IRB also clarified that travel costs such as for petrol, toll and parking fees was also tax deductible. Eeerrr… doesn’t that mean every single one of us who drives to work every day, incurring petrol expenses, toll and parking fees are eligible for the same “operational costs” deductions? After all, in order for us to carry out our jobs, these are expenses we cannot run away from!
Ayoooo, how come no one told us that before?
Anyway, I would like to thank Nora Danish for being the one who brought this matter to the IRB’s attention – because of her, the IRB can be pressured to consider tax exemptions for “operational costs” for every ordinary working Malaysian and not only our artiste friends.
Perhaps in the future, the IRB can also consider including acting classes as part of operational costs. Maklumlah, these days many of our self-acclaimed celebrity actors tend to depend on their attractiveness alone to cover up for their poor acting talent. Kan?
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