Government

IRS May Ask Lucky, Gracious Yankees Fan To Pay Taxes On Jeter Gifts

No good deed goes unpunished (by the IRS).

Last Saturday, Derek Jeter accomplished another milestone in his Hall-of-Fame career when he cracked his 3000th hit as he launched a home run into the left field seats at Yankee Stadium.  23-yr-old Christian Lopez was in the stands and ended up with the historic baseball. Mr. Lopez then did what a very small percentage of fans would do: he offered the ball to Derek Jeter — for free.

Lopez and Jeter posed for photos after the game and the Yankees announced that they were very appreciative of the young man‘s actions and were rewarding his generosity with four tickets premium seats to last Sunday’s game, plus four seats to every remaining home game, in a luxury box. He also received a basket of signed memorabilia from Jeter and the Yankees.

But the shadow of the IRS is looming.

According some estimates, Mr. Lopez (who claims to have $100,000 in student loans) received in excess of $50,000 in goods from the Yankees and he should expect a tax bill as high as $15,000.

The New York Daily News caught up with Christian and asked him about the potential tax bill hanging over his head. His answer was considerably more gracious than one might expect from a native New Yorker:

“The IRS has a job to do, so I’m not going to hold it against them, but it would be cool if they helped me out a little on this.”

(It might also be cool if Jeter “helped out a little on this.” All he had to do was sign a few baseballs and jerseys.)

The potential tax implications do raise additional questions:

Does Derek Jeter face any taxes for receiving a gift (the baseball) worth upwards of $400,000?

Why doesn’t the IRS go after all celebs who regularly are seen in front row and sideline seats at sporting events? They enjoy free seats, just like Mr. Lopez will be doing, to the tune of thousands of dollars per game.  (The Blaze addressed this subject back in April.)

(H/T New York Times, New York Daily News)

Comments (80)

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  • vires montesque vincimus
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 4:35pm

    Screw the IRS. Their own courts, their own judges. Politicians walk away from that which you or I would be sent to prison if we committed the same transgression. There will come a reckoning one day upon this Government the likes of which this country has not seen in centuries if the current trends continue. Tell me you can’t feel something in the air, an almost tangible something. Anger coming from a populace that has had enough? I don’t know. I just know I am not the only one out here who feels it in his gut.

    Report Post »  
    • Gofish
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 6:13pm

      Tell me you can’t feel something in the air, an almost tangible something. Anger coming from a populace that has had enough? I don’t know. I just know I am not the only one out here who feels it in his gut. Funny you should mention that…..I for one am am with you. I’ve always been a “good law abiding citizen” but I think I’m getting real close to the edge.

      Report Post » Gofish  
    • jhaydeng
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 6:26pm

      Maybe now people will wake up in NY! This is bound to tick off a large demographic in NYC! Thank you IRS!

      Report Post »  
    • Pitch_Fork_Ready
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 8:06pm

      I absolutely feel it too and I just mentioned that exact thing to my husband 2 nights ago. It is in the air and I too am at that edge. I am soooo ready to take back my Country from the asswipes in the white house.

      Report Post »  
    • Kenny Holmes
      Posted on July 13, 2011 at 7:54am

      Last of my knowledge gifts are non-taxable…

      Report Post » Kenny Holmes  
    • DirectlyUnPCman
      Posted on July 13, 2011 at 2:26pm

      As much as I hate the Yankees, this is just wrong. Too damn much government. This is how everything will be if you dont stop it now!

      Report Post » DirectlyUnPCman  
    • kchercmech
      Posted on July 13, 2011 at 7:11pm

      I can tell you I can feel the anger, and I can taste the victory when Americans will rise up and take back America from the political tyrants!!! The 2nd amendment was not intended for soda can plinking, or hunting – I do both (fun). It was to empower and protect the American individual in case tyrants obtained too much power.

      “The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not”. -Thomas Jefferson

      And the tyrants are moving quickly to remove the 2nd Amendment. Obama issued an executive order for the feds to track, log, and investigate citizens who actually dare to buy guns and ammo!!

      “The beauty of the second amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it.” -Thomas Jefferson

      Report Post »  
    • kchercmech
      Posted on July 13, 2011 at 7:25pm

      JHedang – Ny’ers dont even remember the twin towers. They do not believe we are being violated by a socialist in the white house – he’s too smart to be a socialist, or he is to regal. Many Manhattanites actually think in their heart he is Jesus Christ. That is why I moved from my beloved NY to VA. And thanks to the VA senators who ruthlessly vote for every Obama idea, I am getting ready to pack it up and go to TX – the last American state.

      Report Post »  
  • h20sue
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 4:29pm

    The very first thing that needs to be cut is the IRS! Greedy bas—-s! We are taxed out of our gourds, and there is no excuse for it.
    If I had what little money I’ve had to pay for sales tax, real estate taxes, personal property taxes, I wouldn‘t be in the struggle I’m in. This is why the average Joe Blow can’t afford to buy a car!
    Even if someone gave my family a car, we couldn’t afford it! By the time the country, the state, insurance companies, and government get’s through with their taxes, and you pay it off, it’s broken down! This isn’t the solution to “living in America” and repairing the debt ceiling. This is no more than raping American’s.
    I live very frugally and drive an eleven year old car. I need windows for my home, new deck, new roof, and dozens of things to improve my life, including health care,eye care and dental care, . I’ve not taken a vacation since 1984! If you think I’m a happy camper with this economy, you have another think coming! If I could meet with Obama, I’d tell him a thing or two, and he’d probably have me arrested, as what I have to say isn’t very lady like. I’m at the point where being a “lady” is the last of my worries. Obama can no longer blame George Bush. He’s made a hole so deep no one can get out, especially small business and middle class folks. Blank you Obama and the horse of thieves you rode into office with!

    Report Post »  
    • kchercmech
      Posted on July 13, 2011 at 7:15pm

      I make $56k a year. Decent right? Nope. Since I am a white male I pay 34% of my income to taxes.

      I invested for my future a few years back. When I lost my job, house, property, car, furniture, and just about everything else, I had to cash in my IRA. Had 50k in the IRA. I walked away with $16 grand. Not only did I see no profit – some of the TAX was my own money. Now, I buy gold and silver, and I keep it with me. They will not get that, no tax, nothing.

      Report Post »  
  • 13th Imam
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 4:20pm

    Charlie Rangold and TurboTax Tim Geitner want their pound of flesh (can I say Flesh?) from this dupe Yankee Fan. The rule is, No Pictures and No Publicity of what you are offered for the Ball. Then the IRS Thieves can’t steal from you.

    Report Post » 13th Imam  
  • smokinmoma
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 4:20pm

    I’ll bet the next guy thinks twice before being so gracious. At least, publicly.

    Report Post »  
    • decendentof56
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 4:30pm

      Listen folks…..
      You will not be able to have a yard sale without claiming proceeds from the sale of already-taxed items. You’ll have to register for the sale, pay your local municipality to rent an approved credit-card type machine you’ll use to complete the transactions with the card that has already replaced paper currency.
      Too stupid to believe me?
      Just vote the Marxist Party (Democrats) back in power in 2012. Go ahead.

      Report Post »  
    • Captain Crunch
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 4:52pm

      @decendentof56
      Many cities already require you to get a permit to have a yard/garage sale. I had the police shut down a yard sale I had at my elderly parents house when I had to move them to a different city where I live, because I didn’t have a permit. Sandusky Ohio (bunch of power hungry control freaks in city counsel)

      Report Post »  
    • kchercmech
      Posted on July 13, 2011 at 7:21pm

      Yep. He was nice, an now has to pay. I used to donate to charity. I never claimed it on my taxes either. As taxes became higher and higher, and the purposeful destruction of our dollar became more disgustingly deliberate, I gave less and les, ending with my becoming the guy who sneers at the less fortunate. When asked for a quarter, or a hand out – I have became that guy I never wanted to become – the scrooge, the guy who coldly says “You want a quarter, get a job. I already give you deadbeat non working slubs over 30% of my money at the barrel of the IRS gun”. I never thought I would end up this way. It actually makes me sad to be so cold, but I have to think about my family.

      Report Post »  
  • bitter clinger
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 4:18pm

    I wish I had 400k to spend on a stupid ball.

    Report Post » bitter clinger  
  • LION4JESUS
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 4:17pm

    Isnt the IRS unconstitutional??? Can someone prove otherwise? So how long are Americans going to allow the IRS to tyrannizes over them? Do we not have the courage to stop them? Have Americans really turned into cowards? Solution. Everyone stop paying their taxes, that means everyone like millions and millions of people, this will ensure the despots downfall and then let us elect people that will take us seriously. THESE POLITICIANS AND ELITIST FRATERNITIES DO NOT DESERVE TAX PAYER MONEY PERIOD. LOOK WHAT THEY HAVE DONE! THEY CREATED THIS !$ TRILLION AND COUNTING DEBT! DID YOU OR I CREATE THIS DEBT? Well not this person as myself. I never owned a credit card…….I do not borrow or lend……I Pray cash with my hard earned money and am free of DEBT…. How about working out a CITIZEN deal out with the police fire and military ourselves on both our own terms that means between you and the services… Maybe this will let THIS MOBOCRACY REALIZE THEY REALLY DO NOT HAVE ANY POWER WHEN WE ACT CONSTITUTIONALLY AGAINST THEM. But we must do non violently…..unless they act tyrannically where we have to do what our fore fathers did. But who will listen anyway…most Americans are cowards.

    Report Post » LION4JESUS  
  • Living In NYC
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 4:12pm

    I am sorry Christian…but the kids in Washington have run the credit card over the limit and they will stop at anything to keep there habit fulfilled!

    Your cash and earnings are like crack to them and they need a fix of your cash. So join the rest of us and share the wealth with them!

    Report Post » Living In NYC  
  • jaylew
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 4:07pm

    On a serious income tax note….the entire madness revealed by this Jeter Home Run Baseball business is because the entire current federal income tax system is totally unworkable at this point. With all due respect to folks that are blind….they get a special standard deduction but someone with no arms and legs does not. WTF? The IRS spends more money on issuing refunds and refundable tax credits than it does collecting the taxes themselves. The agency doesn’t even cross check computer records with welfare departments to avoid fraud with respect to who is claiming who and when. The entire notion of waiting for a year to get a refund of your own withheld money back is preposterous. Not until the entire tax code is totally tossed aside for a completely different approach will this Jeter Baseball kind of nonsense stop. Let’s see…I scratch a 5 dollar instant lottery ticket and win 500 dollars and I have to potentially pay income tax on at least $495 of it? WTF? Why? I took the risk on that ticket not the IRS…..but the current federal tax code thinks that “others” are entitled to the income taxes I owe on that 495 dollars. Ummmmmm….why? Because millions of our citizens think those of us who pay federal income taxes OWE them a portion of our work effort and the fruit from that work and from our risks. Yep…I’m mean…and proud of it. I don’t owe just anyone anything….and not just any body owes me. The concept of family and friends and church members always applies.

    Report Post » jaylew  
  • zoro51
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 4:07pm

    micro managing our lives got us out of england. how much more cna the public take of this BS national THEFT of our money. were taxed to death n after death… NO logic

    Report Post » zoro51  
  • drimmel
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 4:03pm

    What insanity for a baseball that if bought new at a store is about $10. So it‘s value is decreased because it’s used! Value $1.00 Tax that if you want! Not worth anymore unless it actually sold! And any gifts received from the yankees have already deemed a loss and no profit made for it to be taxed. It’s there look it up, It’s in one of the 70,000 pages of the tax code! So how silly is this whole thing now?

    Report Post »  
  • dmerwin
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 3:56pm

    We do need as “old dog” says real tax reform that would eliminate the IRS. The IRS employs roughly 100,000 people with a budget of about 13 billion dollars per year. This is just drag. A flat or better yet the Fair Tax could do a better job of collection with far fewer employees i.e. less drag. True reform would eliminate exemptions and loopholes that the really well off crawl through. Any tax reform should eliminate all subsidies for all business and lower the corporate tax rate to welcome business back to the US. This would even the playing field for business and the consumer as well and the consumer would be able to direct his or her money to what THEY want to support. For example if you want to pay a bunch of money for not yet reliable power sources like wind and solar you could. This would also convince the “green” businesses to lobby for lesser, rather than more regulation to make their products economically viable. Might bring down pharmaceutical prices as well as they would compete on the global market with stable rules.

    Report Post » dmerwin  
    • sWampy
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 4:06pm

      Flat screw “FAIR” any time anyone says something is fair, it’s fair for them, and screws someone else. The government has basically one job national defense, and not much else, everyone should pay the same percentage of their income on these defense. If you are going to say roads and rails are needed for national defense, maybe they are, but most of the burden for roads should be at state/county level.

      Report Post »  
  • sb36695
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 3:56pm

    This is what big government does! It needs money, so it stalks & harrases you to get it. BIG GOVERNMENT IS BAD GOVERNMENT!

    Report Post »  
  • terriccio
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 3:56pm

    Although I am a Mets fan, I am liking this guy Christian Lopez! He is a great fan and seems like a really cool person. One of the most inspiring stories this summer so far.

    Report Post »  
    • Gonzo
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 4:06pm

      Yea, you don’t see “gracious” and “Yankees fan” in the same sentence very often.

      Report Post » Gonzo  
    • JJ Coolay
      Posted on July 13, 2011 at 4:06am

      The IRS is REALLY making this an inspiring story.

      Report Post » JJ Coolay  
  • Gonzo
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 3:54pm

    if you drive a car, I’ll tax the street;
    if you try to sit, I’ll tax your seat;
    if you get too cold, I’ll tax the heat;
    if you take a walk, I’ll tax your feet.
    Cause I’m the POTUS Yea! I’m the the POTUS

    Report Post » Gonzo  
    • dmerwin
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 3:59pm

      Love George Harrison’s lyrics here. Also you might remember
      “And I get on my knees and pray,
      WE DONT GET FOOLED AGAIN”
      I’d like to see a t-shirt with that line with the Obama logo in all the “O”s

      Report Post » dmerwin  
    • smithclar3nc3
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 4:01pm

      The fan traded a 400,000 ball for a 50,000 seat a net loss of 350,000 I think I would file my net loss and hit the IRS WHERE IT COUNTS.

      Report Post »  
  • WhatTheHuh
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 3:50pm

    How’s this for a plausible scenario? The IRS taxes the fan for the luxury box and gifts AND for the estimated value of the ball he caught. Doesn’t matter that he gave it away, he still had it and that is considered income. Then the IRS goes after Jeter for receiving something for free that is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, in essence taxing the value of the ball twice. If we were in the full bloom of Obamacare (with the 16,000 new IRS agents needed to enforce it) this would certainly be an accurate scenario.

    Report Post »  
  • romadave
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 3:49pm

    If he receives a letter from the IRS, I think he should hire a lawyer and instruct that lawyer to write a one line response. “Go F Yourself… With Scissors!”

    If they write a nasty gram back, I like @CATB’s answer. Claim a $450k loss and amortize it over five years– a nice long tax holiday.

    Report Post »  
  • StevenL1955
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 3:48pm

    Uncle Sam is on Steriods and we need to send them to re-hab. This government has gone insane

    Report Post » StevenL1955  
  • pyeatte
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 3:44pm

    I am not surprised the rotten goons at the IRS would try to pull this. They might even try to charge him taxes on the lost $500K he “could have made” if he had sold the ball instead of giving it back. Someday there will be a grand retribution – probably not in my lifetime, but someday.

    Report Post »  
    • ishka4me
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 3:56pm

      2 years ago my wife’s work gave her a trip for 2 to vegas and we went. Not our cup of tea but it was a gift for hard work. a few motnhs later we got the tax form stating that it was a $10,000 trip to be taxed as income. We would not have spent that money on a blaoted priced trip to vegas and believe we could have bought a similar package for about $1,200. We had to pay over $3,000 in taxes for something we really didn’t want. That old phrase “never look a gift horse in the mouth’ means nothing when the i.r.s. is involved

      Report Post »  
  • JRook
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 3:43pm

    Latest reports are the M. Bachmann was a tax collector for the IRS…how would she have handled this?

    Report Post »  
    • vennoye
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 3:50pm

      You never know, send her an email and ask her!

      Report Post » vennoye  
  • frustratedwithgovt
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 3:41pm

    No good deed goes unpunished is right. If this isn‘t a clear example of how jacked up our government is then I don’t know what is.

    Report Post » frustratedwithgovt  
  • I SPY
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 3:41pm

    Ridiculous. Jeter should pay the tax AND give the ball back to Lopez AFTER he signs it, then get a real job like the rest of America are trying to do. If it weren’t for fans like Lopez, Jeter would be driving a 1991 Buick and working at a tire shop… if he was lucky.

    Report Post » I SPY  
    • I.Gaspar
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 3:49pm

      I like that. He would have been a great tire shop employee.
      If he doesn’t come to the plate for this guy, he’s a piker, regardless of what yankee fans think of him.

      Report Post »  
  • olddog
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 3:37pm

    Lets change the tax code and get rid of the irs, once and for all. We all know this country would be much better off, without the irs..

    Report Post » olddog  
    • Heitah
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 3:45pm

      Axe the IRS and the deficit fixes itself.

      Report Post » Heitah  
    • Shasta
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 4:10pm

      It could get crazier still. If one assumes that the ball was Lopez ‘s property when he got the ball, then when he gave it back to Jeter, from the IRS’ perspective, that ball became a taxable gift. Taxes on gifts are generally paid by the donor. How much is that ball worth?

      Report Post » Shasta  
  • CatB
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 3:36pm

    How about all the tax cheats in Washington …. when are they going to pay up?!!! Only when caught .. no good deed goes unpunished in the eyes of the IRS … flat tax or fair tax … DISSOLVE THE IRS!

    TEA!

    Report Post »  
    • Anonymous T. Irrelevant
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 3:47pm

      Don‘t forget to add Obama’s buddies, like GE, who haven’t paid a dime in taxes.

      Report Post » Anonymous T. Irrelevant  
    • wildbill_b
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 7:03pm

      The correct action is to learn the LAW and the Constitution. Once you achieve that you will find that what you know to be true is categorically NOT so.

      For instance the IRS says that the 16th amendment allows a direct non apportioned tax on your money for labor.
      This is quite easily proven false. Read Taft’s letter to Congress 1909, Congressional Journal quotes and Taft’s Presidential Addresses 1910 and you will find what the purpose of the 16th was as follows,

      “If the income tax amendment [16th] passes, as I hope it may, we can then enlarge the corporation tax so as to include a proper burden on the bondholders in the corporation as well as upon the stockholders; and this will make this instrument of taxation even more equitable than it now is.”

      The ONLY thing it allows is taxation of Municipal Bonds which are now “supposedly” tax exempt. Read more of my interesting facts at http://www.lojack12.com/Constitution, particularly in this instant case the 16th amendment. Peace

      Report Post »  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 3:35pm

    Here we go again, the out of control IRS Vampires Inc on the loose; if he had sold the ball or those gifts given to him, that would be one thing, now this is just another aspect of the out of control admin we have in DC.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
  • BIGJAYINPA
    Posted on July 12, 2011 at 3:35pm

    When it comes to getting what they think is their’s(apparently that means everything we have or are likely to get), nothing can stop the IRS. These are the true jackbooted thugs of the administration. They will stop at nothing to take what they think is their’s by right and law…Just sayin’.

    Report Post » BIGJAYINPA  
    • CatB
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 3:38pm

      It is estimated that he could have sold the ball for $500,000 .. he got what is estimated to be worth $50,000 .. so he has a $450,000 LOSS .. he should put that on his taxes!

      Report Post »  
    • Islesfordian
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 4:01pm

      Good thinking CATB! He “sold” the ball at a loss. Let the IRS stick that in their pipe and smoke it.

      Report Post » Islesfordian  
    • grandmaof5
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 4:22pm

      Good observation, CAT! If he were in the country illegally, they would probably not say a word, but since he is a nice guy who plays by the rules (I am making an assumption), then they go for the jugular. That was really a selfless gesture.

      Report Post »  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on July 12, 2011 at 6:00pm

      CatB:

      Indeed a good point, and I imagine there may be a way he could take the difference off in the taxes; as he had legitimate claim and possession of the ball for a time, hence ownership, and then gave it back – hence a gift. Interesting.

      Grandmaof5:

      Afternoon, I was along the same chain of thought of you and CatB. Sometimes I think the straight out flat tax or such is the best route to go, yet the IRS needs to be stomped into the ground for the sheer audacity they are doing and getting away with anymore.
      http://artinphoenix.com/gallery/grimm (two new cats added)

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
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