Q: The stock photos that I take seem to have a shelf life of about five years. After that they have gone out of style and are out- dated. If I take about 2,000 pictures every year, can I depreciate any images that are older than five years?

A: The only business that I know of that can depreciate the intangible worth of its commodity is major league baseball. Owners get to write off a large portion of their player costs as depreciation. It's a special perk reserved for the sports world. Depreciating creative content such as photos might not get the blessings of the IRS. You would have to be able to prove that all of your photos are worthless after five years. To the contrary, we all know that some photos appreciate in value after many years, sometimes for their historical significance and others for their fine art value.

Julian Block, a former IRS agent and tax attorney, is the author of "Julian Block's Tax Avoidance Secrets" ($29.95 p&h included, 560 pgs. Mention you are a PhotoStockNotes subscriber and receive the book for $19.95. Julian Block, 3 Washington Sq, Larchmont NY 10538-2032). For Julian's tax saving and tax planning reports, go to http://www.photosourcefolio.com/TaxReports.htm . Julian can be reached at julianblock@yahoo.com.