The Good, The Bad, And The Doughnuts

Good: At fan appreciation day in October, Astros fan Bob Choate won a year's supply of free doughnuts from Shipley's Do-Nuts.

Bad: He received 315 coupons for doughnuts and coffee, each values around $3. As with all large prizes, he would have to declare it on his taxes. It turned out to cost him $237, even though as of last month, he had only used eight coupons.

Good: Lawrence Shipley, owner of the Houston chain, has offered to reimburse Choate for his tax hit. In exchange, Choate will donate the same amount to a charity of Shipley's choice. The Astros have apologized for the trouble, giving Choate a Jeff Bagwell signed baseball.

Bad: They also gave him four tickets to an Astros game.

Shipley prize put Astros fan in IRS doughnut hole [Houston Chronicle] Astros fan learns there's no such thing as 315 free donuts [Big League Stew] EARLIER: Guy Who Won A Year's Worth Of Doughnut-Shop Coupons From The Astros Whines About The Tax Bill