A bank robber has been allowed to claim the £1,400 cost of the gun he used as a legitimate business expense.
The 46-year-old criminal was able to set the price of the pistol against his gross proceeds of £4,700, which he stole in the southern Dutch town of Chaam.
Leendert De Lange, a spokesman, said: "You can compare criminal acts to normal business activities, where you must invest to make profits, and thus you have costs."
Therefore drug dealers would be within their rights to claim the cost of a car used to ferry the drugs around, he said.
That ruling is a big "f*** you" to all law-abiding citizens, and particularly legitimate business owners.
I just called the IRS and asked if I could deduct the cost of a firearm as I do business in the sale of gift cards and textbooks, and the transactions often involve cash and I carry around some of the items with me. They said no - it has to be "an ordinary part of the business," such as a security guard. Apparently a criminal will also qualify in the Netherlands.