Medieval Tax Questions

In honor of income tax filing day here in the United States, here's some tax questions that some men and women in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries might have asked:

Can I deduct the cost of clothing I need to impress the nobles? Piers G.
In some cases, you may be able to deduct the cost of clothing you acquire to impress others, if this is essential to generating patronage. See Form 1040, Schedule P (PDF), Itemized Deductions for New Earls.

Are my expenses in acquiring added residences (attorney fees, costs of travel, time spent in persuasion) deductible? Hugh D.
Such expenses are generally deductible if they satisfy the same requirements for deductibility as interest on a primary residence and if the king says they are. For more information, refer to Publication F, Tax Information for Royal Favorites.

In my spare time, I enjoy diverse hobbies such as thatching, roofing, and digging ditches. If in the future I should make money off these activities, would they be considered a business or a hobby? Ed 2
If you are not sure whether you are running a business or simply enjoying a hobby, here are some of the factors you should consider:
• Do you have another occupation?
• Do others think you spend too much time on your hobby and too little time on your business?
• Do most other people in your position enjoy such hobbies?

My son is only seventeen but insists that he is capable of running his own business. Can I at least continue to claim him as a dependent? Isabella
As long as the following dependency exemption tests are met, you may claim him or her:
1. He has not fathered a child of his own;
2. He has not openly declared his intent to rule;
3. He has not executed any friends of yours.

I married a woman with very few assets of her own and a very large family. In the past tax year, I have provided jobs and marriages for these relations. Can I claim them as dependents? Ed 4.
There are four tests that must be met for a person to be your qualifying relative for an exemption. The four tests are:
1. Member of household or relationship test,
2. Gross income test,
3. Support test, and
4. Annoying the Kingmaker test.

I am an English citizen. If I move to France with the intention of returning to England at a convenient moment, do I pay both French and English income taxes? Henry T.
You must comply with both countries’ filing requirements. However, if you return to England and make yourself king, this advice may change. Consult your tax expert.