Question

Tax Research and Procedure (Accounting Question) Provide at least a page for each of the following questions.

1. In the movie "Pretty Woman" is Julia Roberts an employee or independent contractor? Discuss.

2. In the movie "The Blind Side" assume the Tuohy's did not become Michael's legal guardian. May they claim a child tax credit for Michael for the calendar year he first moves in with the family (2018) or the next year when he is recruited by the colleges (2019)? Why or why not?

3. In the movie "The Godfather" may Jack Woltz deduct the loss of his horse? Explain.

Answer 1

1. Originally intended to be a dark cautionary tale about class and sex work in Los Angeles, the film was re-conceived as a romantic comedy with a large budget. Pretty Woman is a 1990 American romantic comedy film directed by Garry Marshall, from a screenplay by J. F. Lawton. The film stars Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, and features Héctor Elizondo, Ralph Bellamy (in his final performance), Laura San Giacomo, and Jason Alexander in supporting roles. The film's story centers on down-on-her-luck Hollywood sex worker Vivian Ward, who is hired by Edward Lewis, a wealthy businessman, to be his escort for several business and social functions, and their developing relationship over the course of her week-long stay with him. The film’s title Pretty Woman is based on "Oh, Pretty Woman", written and sung by Roy Orbison. It is the first film on-screen collaboration with Gere and Roberts, and their second collaboration film in Runaway Bride, released in 1999.

High-powered businessman Edward Lewis is dumped by his girlfriend during an unpleasant phone call wherein he asked her to escort him during his business trip; she has finally had enough of being treated solely as his "beck and call girl." Edward is a corporate raider from New York, who buys companies that are in financial trouble and tears them down piece by piece. Leaving a business party in the Hollywood Hills, he takes his lawyer's Lotus Esprit sports car and accidentally ends up on Hollywood Boulevard in the city's red-light district, where he encounters prostitute Vivian Ward. As he is having difficulties driving the car, she gets in and guides him to the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel, where he is staying. It becomes clear that Vivian knows more about the Lotus than he does, and he lets her drive. Vivian charges Lewis $20 for the ride, and they separate. She goes to a bus stop, where he finds her and offers to hire her for the night; the next day, he asks Vivian to play the role his girlfriend has refused, offering her $3000 to stay with him for the next six days as well as to buy her a new, more acceptable wardrobe. That evening, going to a business dinner, Edward is visibly moved by Vivian's transformation brought about by the helpful manager of the hotel and begins seeing Vivian in a different light. He begins to open up to her, revealing details about his personal and business lives. Julia Roberts as Vivian Ward, a free spirited Hollywood prostitute who Edward hires to be his escort for a week. Thus she can be termed as an independent contractor.

Edward takes Vivian to a polo match in hopes of networking for his business deal. His attorney, Phillip, suspects Vivian is a corporate spy, and Edward tells him how they truly met. Phillip later approaches Vivian, suggesting they do business once her work with Edward is finished. Insulted, and furious that Edward has revealed their secret, Vivian wants to end the arrangement. Edward apologizes and admits to feeling jealous of a business associate – whom she had met at the previous night's dinner – to whom Vivian paid attention at the match. Vivian's straightforward personality is rubbing off on Edward, and he finds himself acting in unaccustomed ways. Clearly growing involved, Edward takes Vivian by private jet to see La Traviata at the San Francisco Opera. Vivian is moved to tears by the story of the prostitute who falls in love with a rich man. She breaks her "no kissing on the mouth" rule and they have sex; in the afterglow, believing Edward is asleep, Vivian admits she loves him, and as she drifts off, Edward opens his eyes. Edward offers to put her up in an apartment so she can be off the streets. Hurt, she refuses and says this is not the "fairy tale" she dreamed of as a child, in which a knight on a white horse rescues her.

Meeting with the tycoon whose shipbuilding company he is in the process of raiding, Edward changes his mind. His time with Vivian has shown him a different way of looking at life, and he suggests he and the tycoon work together to save the company rather than tearing it apart and selling off the pieces. Phillip, furious at losing so much money, goes to the hotel to confront Edward but finds only Vivian. Blaming her for the change in Edward, he attempts to rape her. Edward arrives, wrestles Philip off her, punches him in the face, and throws him out of the room.

With his business in L.A. complete, Edward asks Vivian to stay one more night with him, but because she wants to, not because he's paying her. She refuses. Edward re-thinks his life, and as he's leaving for the airport to return to New York, he instead has the hotel chauffeur detour to Vivian's apartment building, where he leaps from the white limousine's sun roof and "rescues her", overcoming his extreme fear of heights to ascend her fire escape.

3.

The Godfather had enough muscle to influence the entertainment world. He was always easing his godson’s career path with meaningful threats to those who stood in Johnny’s way.

Tom goes to California to speak with Woltz. Woltz doesn’t know who he is at first and is rude and dismissive of him. When he finds out, he apologizes and is more receptive to hear what Tom has to say. He behaves in a congenial manner but still refuses the request to let Johnny in his new film. He had very good reasons to hate Johnny and was firm and explicit in his reasons why. The fact that he showed respect to Tom for a while in his home, shows the power of the New York don.

Tom is a shrewd individual. While at Woltz’s home, he’s taking in everything. He notes the reverence in Woltz’s voice when he speaks of the horse Khartoum. The man loves this horse. It represents his success and power. The horse is like Sampson’s hair, cut it off and the man is diminished.

Tom sees the quiet servants whose silence could be bought, who might allow despicable people into the home to do this awful deed. Notice how Woltz’s speaks so disrespectfully in front of them. They probably want to see him taken down a notch and would jump at the chance to help it happen for enough money to make it worthwhile. In his bed, where he should feel safe. This is his castle where servants tend to his every need. Lying comfortably in the silken sheets, in opulence of his home, Woltz is untouchable. Tom devises a way to break the man down to the core.

It’s been said that Luca did this. However, to speculate, Tom does not need Luca when Vito’s reach already extends to California. He knows the right people to call on the west coast without having to fly someone in from New York. Luca is not the catch all who just does every nasty thing that needs to be done. He wasn’t around when the terrible tragedy befell Senator Geary and that was in Nevada. Luca was not the only ruthless fellow who would kill a horse for profit.

Thus, neither the movie not the novel explain who kills the horse.

2. In the movie "The Blind Side" assume the Tuohy's did not become Michael's legal guardian. No they can not claim a child tax credit for Michael for the calendar year he first moves in with the family (2018) or the next year when he is recruited by the colleges (2019).