'I know this is fraud': Person opens fake Instagram account for their roommate's cat to write off $8,000 in business expenses over 5 years

Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager

Jan 14, 2026 12:00 PM EST

No one likes paying taxes, but this feline fan found a way to reduce theirs by claiming all the money paid for the cat, and even part of their rent, as "business expenses" for the cat's fake Instagram account.

We're not tax expurrts, but we're pretty sure the person in this post just found a ludicrous loophole in the system. They started a fake Instagram account for their roommate's cat, and after learning that influencers can write off "business expenses" as tax write-offs, they got the ingenious (and illegal) idea to keep the Instagram open and claim things like cat food, litter, vet visits, and even rent as "studio space" on their taxes. This seemingly purrfect plan saved them around $8,000 over the course of five years. While we don't condone any sort of illegal activity here at I Can Has Cheezburger, we can't say that it isn't pawsitively diabolical.

If you zoom out for a second, though, this is the same kind of thing that billionaires do to avoid paying taxes, and they get away with it all the time. As one hissterical commenter said below: "When [they] do it, it's smart business. When the rest of us do it, it's fraud." If they don't have to face any consequences for keeping money in offshore accounts, donating to fake organizations to lower their yearly taxes, then why should this feline fan? Surely the money they are avoiding is inconsequential compared to potential tax dollars from millionaires and billionaires.

As we said earlier, we do not condone this sort of activity and believe that everyone should play by the rules. However, if a cat were given this choice, they would support the plan. Why? Because cats like to play by their own rules. Sometimes, you have to push something off the table in order to get what you want, and that's exactly what this purrson is doing.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to start your Caturday with the funniest felines on the internet!

01

via pocstock

Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.
02

via kubrador
03

via kubrador
04

via kubrador
05

via kubrador
Being an influencer is a full-time job, so although it is funny to make fun of the “influencer life”, it's not accurate at all to say that it's an easy job. Your whole life is work, with no set start or end time. You're constantly thinking up creative ideas, editing videos, emailing brands and clients, and uploading it all while making your life look desirable. It's a lot of work.
06

via donttouchmeah
07

via xj2608
08

via Africa images

Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.
09

via KreatorOfReddit
10

via KreatorOfReddit
11

via KreatorOfReddit
We're too afraid to do something like this. We've never even shoplifted anything in our lives because we're too much of a Nervous Nelly. To the people who have the courage to challenge the system, more power to you, but maybe do it in a slightly more legal way. We're not lawyers, but that sounds like good advice to us.
12

via Disagreed
13

via Disagreed
14

via Bilder von YuM

Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.
15

via Disagreed
16

via dragonlady_11
17

via nejnonein
18

via PoconoRob
19

via icecream4_deadlifts
20

via Silmarlion
21

via AllyKalamity