Let me try to make you feel a little better....

Since the $40 is such a small amount, you would simply "expense" it, I can't
imagine putting a couple bikes on a depreciation schedule.... so the $40
that you paid you can deduct from your taxable income... if you're at a 30%
rate, the real cost of your bikes was $28.

But then you took them back and got a reciept for a $40 donation to
Goodwill... if you're able to deduct 100% of that amount from your taxable
income, you can take another $12 off your tax bill.

So I'd say that the use of the bikes cost you about $16.

Jim



"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:1ngIe.235818$nG6.198967@attbi_s22...
Then -- best of all -- on our last day, we returned the bikes to the
Goodwill store, and they gave us a receipt for a $40 tax write-off!
Free bikes for the week!

Uh.... Jay ...... A $40 tax writeoff isn't the same as a refund. Those
bikes cost you about $25-30. Cheap, but it ain't free.

Hey, your crappy reality can't burst my fantasy bubble!

:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"