steveman518

For those of you who don't frequent the UA forums or haven't received a mailer on this...
You must have a UA MileagePlus account to participate

United MileagePlus® Billion Mile Giveaway Sweepstakes

ELIGIBILITY: Sweepstakes is open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and United States based military installations who are eighteen (18) years of age or older and a United MileagePlus member at the time of entry (“Eligible Participant” and/or “Entrant”). Void in Puerto Rico, United States Territories (excluding Guam) and Possessions, overseas military installations and where prohibited or restricted by law.

HOW TO ENTER: There are two (2) ways to enter:

1-Automatic Entry: An Eligible Participant will automatically receive one (1) Sweepstakes entry for each eligible purchase made with an eligible United MileagePlus Chase credit card during the Promotional Period at a participating merchant location in the U.S.

2-Non-Purchase Entry: Log on to https://www.billionmilegiveaway.com and follow the on-screen entry instructions to be entered. Enter as often as you wish, however, each entry must be manually key stroked. Non-Purchase Entries must be received by 11:59:59 PM ET on 9/30/16. To enter via this method, entrant must also be a member of the United MileagePlus® program as noted above.

ENTRY LIMIT: No limit (at least in theory)

PRIZES: One Hundred (100) Grand Prize Winners: One Million (1,000,000) MileagePlus award miles. Grand Prize will also include $7,500 cash (awarded in the form of a check to the winner) that may be used toward the payment of any/all applicable taxes associated with the prize. Total Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”) of Grand Prize: $27,500 each. Ten Thousand (10,000) First Prize Winners: Twenty Five Thousand (25,000) MileagePlus award miles ARV: $500 each. One Hundred Thirty Thousand (130,000) Second Prize Winners: Five Thousand (5,000) MileagePlus award miles ARV: $100 each. Total ARV of all prizes offered $20,750,000.

RANDOM DRAWING: On or about October 15, 2016, a random drawing from among all eligible automatic and non-purchase entries received and combined will be conducted by Marden-Kane, Inc., an independent judging organization. Decisions of the Sponsor will be final and binding on all matters relating to this Sweepstakes.

WINNER NOTIFICATION: Potential Grand Prize winners will be notified by email within three (3) business days of the drawing and will be required to execute and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability Release and where legal, a Publicity Release; and an IRS Form W-9 within five (5) days following the date of issuance of notification or the prize may be forfeited and awarded to an alternate potential winner.

CONTEST DATES: 1 August 2016 12PM Eastern-30 September 2016 11:59:59PM Eastern

ENTRY PAGE: https://www.billionmilegiveaway.com/

OFFICIAL RULES: Scroll down from the entry page to see official rules

TravelinSperry

Thanks, didn't know about this. I use my UA cc as a backup card. I wonder if it's worth moving to primary to get more entries? Hmmmmm

paperwastage

fun

SkiAdcock

Link's working.

Cheers.

SkiAdcock

Or you could enter via the non-purchase method. Link in the OP.

Cheers.

Kagehitokiri

anyone else trying to imagine if they gave a winner 1 billion miles?

SkiAdcock

Imagine the taxes on the billion miles

Cheers.

GlobalMatt

Seriously! Even if valued at 1.6c per mile, this would easily trigger a tax on $1.6m in winnings. :WOOF:

Nanook

According to the wording in the official rules, each 1,000,000 has an ARV of $27,500, and you will also win a check for $7,500 to help pay the taxes on the winnings. So not sure if winning the grand prize is worth that.

SkiAdcock

Could be worth it. Also the $27.5K includes the $7.5K check. The million miles are valued at $20K.

I know someone who won a trip to Europe (air/hotel/French Open/many events/gift cards) & the prize also included $$ for taxes (think the prize value was close to $25K). We figured out what everything was actually going to cost, he did some # crunching re: his tax bracket & we figured out the $$ provided for taxes in the sweeps would indeed cover the taxes. He & his wife had a great time on the trip.

Having said that, I'm not an accountant, don't play one on tv, and one should always check w/ one's accountant.

Cheers.

JerryFF

When my wife won a trip for two to Italy, we were able to deduct all expenses associated with taking the trip, including transportation to and from the airport, any meals we had to pay for on the trip, and all other expenses from the minute we left home until we returned home.

SkiAdcock

Did you classify it as a business trip, because I don't see how you could deduct expenses on a leisure trip.

Cheers.

JerryFF

If you win a sweepstakes, you can deduct any expenses associated with entering or accepting the win. The trip does not have to be a business trip, according to my accountant. For example, we mailed in entries - the cost of those mailings was deductible. It cost us money to get to and from the airport - that was deductible. Not all meals were included in the trip - so our cost of those meals was deductible.

This is part of a general principle that costs associated with obtaining any taxable income are usually, though not always, deductible.

SkiAdcock

Things like postage, etc, on sweeps winnings are normally deductible. If you itemize, you can deduct the cost of papers, card, envelopes, stamps, etc. on the Miscellaneous Deductions line, but only the amount that exceeds 2% of your AGI IIRC.

I've never heard of anyone, in all my years of sweeping, claim deductions for meals or taxis on sweeps wins. Not all accountants are familiar w/ sweepstakes wins (and often confuse it w/ gambling). If yours is, good for him. If not, then hopefully the IRS won't come back & say what's this.

More importantly, how was the trip to Italy?

Cheers.

ginoa724

I work for an accounting firm and can attest to this.