ABBA singer says group wore outlandish costumes to avoid tax

National Post ^ | Feb. 18, 2014 | National Post Staff

[rickmichaels]

Swedish disco titans ABBA weren’t as fond of sequins as it may have appeared.

According to ABBA: The Official Photo Book, released to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the group career-making Eurovision victory for Waterloo, the Swedish foursome adopted their outlandish dressing style in order to ensure they could deduct the cost of their costumes under Swedish tax code.

According to the book, Swedish laws allowed work wear to be tax deductible so long as it was demonstrably apparel that couldn’t be worn on the street – which, with its garish coloring and liberal use of sparkle, ABBA’s certainly was.

“In my honest opinion we looked like nuts in those years,” group member Bjorn Ulvaeus says in the book. “Nobody can have been as badly dressed on stage as we were.”

[Lizavetta]

Why didn’t they pay their taxes like good happy Socialists?

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

But, but I thought everybody loved paying taxes.

[bigheadfred]

and this is how you become a supergroup bilderburger

[workerbee]

If only this could explain the rest of the ‘70s.

[cripplecreek]

Well there goes my excuse for wearing that stuff.

[Gen.Blather]

“Why didn’t they pay their taxes like good happy Socialists?”

I read that at one point Abba was Sweden’s leading taxpayer. BTW, May West was told in a audit that she could not take off her wardrobe. She had herself suited up and proved she could not sit in her dresses. She got to deduct them.

[NonValueAdded]

This applies in the US too.

[Revolting cat!]

Brabra Streisand! They wore it 'coz they're fags, fans!

[HiTech RedNeck]

Take off her wardrobe... from her taxes of course. Not literally, in the presence of the auditor.

[cloudmountain]

Leave it to May West...”Is that pistol in your pocket or are ya just glad to see me?”

[cloudmountain]

I can explain the 70’s in one word: DRUGS.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

FR absolutely needs Surround Sound! Shameless ABBA Fan! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sj_9CiNkkn4

[ConservativeStatement]

“Money, money, money
Must be funny
In the rich man’s world
Money, money, money
Always sunny
In the rich man’s world”

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Honey, I’m still Free - Take a Chance on Me! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-crgQGdpZR0

[Navy Patriot]

Gee, citizens will modify their behavior to retain their wealth in socialist countries, too. Who woulda thunk it?

[bigheadfred]

like who remembers the 70’s

[workerbee]

Who’s that?

[Army Air Corps]

Heavy, man. Heavy.

[null and void]

I do, sadly enough...