13. “A New Car,” But There’s a Catch
Photo: aurorasblog
When Bob Barker, or Drew Carey nowadays, screamed the words “a new car,” it was the happiest day of that particular contestant’s life, right? Logic would tell you yes, and for the most part that is probably true. But see, as with most things that seem too good to be true, there’s a catch to winning that shiny brand new car. Uncle Sam and the fine state of California consider that “income” and therefore your required to pay taxes on the full retail value of whatever it is you win. Not a big deal if you win $100 in Plinko, but win that Jaguar worth $40,000 and that’s a different story.