Rise of the celebrity gift bag

While only a handful of stars will receive Oscars, host Chris Rock and all acting and directing nominees will receive a record-setting $200,000
goodie bag – a perk deemed taxable by the U.S. Internal Revenue

1989 Originally conceived by AMPAS* to thank actors for presenting awards at Oscars

2002 Marketing company Distinctive Assets commercializes gift bag concept

2005 $100,000 Value of gift bag 

2006 IRS decrees that celebrities must pay tax on gifts at awards shows

2015 $167,586 Value of gift bag last year 

2016 $200,000

Selected items in the “Everybody Wins at the Oscars Nominee Gift Bag”

$55,000: 10-day, first-class trip to Israel

$45,000: Year’s worth of Audi car rentals

$45,000: 15-day walking tour of Japan

$31,200: Lifetime supply of skin cream

$6,300: 10,000 meals for animal shelters donated in celebrity’s name

$6,250: “Ultimate Fitness Package” in private villa

$5,000: 3-night stay at Grand Hotel Tremezzo in Lake Como, Italy

Less expensive items: Toilet tissue gift box ($275), sterling silver necklace ($150), rouGe Maple syrup ($99), Drunken Fig Cake Bites ($35), travel fuzz remover ($12)

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Sources: Distinctive Assets, thewrap.com*