Abba admit outrageous outfits were worn to avoid tax
www.theguardian.com
New book reveals band's style was influenced by Swedish laws that allowed cost of outfits to be deducted against tax

According to Abba: The Official Photo Book, published to mark 40 years since they won Eurovision with Waterloo, the band’s style was influenced in part by laws that allowed the cost of outfits to be deducted against tax – so long as the costumes were so outrageous they could not possibly be worn on the street.

  • fallingcatsEnglish
    3·
    2 months ago

    It really seems like these would be more expensive by more than the tax benefits

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      2·
      2 months ago

      @Zip2@feddit.uk explained it:

      I think it was even better than that. It wasn’t just the tax on the costume, it was the entire cost of them could be deducted from their tax bill. The more extravagant and expensive, the smaller that years tax bill!

      • fallingcatsEnglish
        2·
        2 months ago

        I’ve read the comment, but that’s not how taxes usually work. (It is, however, like a lot of people with little knowledge about the topic think tax deductions in general work - which makes me suspicious)

        It would take bit more of the than that comment at face value to convince me that apparent law exist(ed)