The tax man waits for no one — not you, not your neighbors, and not even some of your favorite TV characters. Now that the deadline to pay Uncle Sam is almost here, you can celebrate (or medicate?) by watching these familiar faces crunch the numbers.
Here are some of the best Tax Day-themed TV episodes ever.
The Dick Van Dyke Show: “Your Home Sweet Home Is My Home” (Season 4, Episode 24)
It’s tax time for TV writer Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke), and his mystified accountant wants to know why he gives his buddy Jerry (Jerry Paris) a check for $37.50 every year. The hilariously detailed answer (in flashback) involves then-pregnant wife Laura (Mary Tyler Moore), real estate, and one gargantuan rock.
Watch it on: Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, Plex, The Roku Channel, Tubi
The Odd Couple: “The Ides of April” (Season 3, Episode 16)
During a trivial visit to the IRS, early bird January 2 filer Felix Unger (Tony Randall) lets slip that his roommate Oscar Madison (Jack Klugman) is lax about his taxes. You don’t need an MBA to figure out what happens next. At least disheveled divorcé Oscar learns alimony counts as a deductible!
Watch it on: Paramount+, Pluto TV
Magnum, P.I.: “Death and Taxes” (Season 7, Episode 6)
What gets Hawaii private detective Thomas Magnum (Tom Selleck) literally hot and bothered? Preparing for an audit over the Fourth of July weekend. Well, that and the kook who keeps calling to pose nursery rhyme riddles about the murders he’s planning.
Watch it on: On-demand streaming services
Roseanne: “April Fool’s Day” (Season 2, Episode 22)
Uncle Sam is waiting—and a befuddled Roseanne (Roseanne Barr) and Dan (John Goodman) are procrastinating. They end up at the IRS, where Roseanne calls a staffer a “pencil-pushing geek.” At the episode’s end, Goodman himself breaks the fourth wall to assure viewers he’s a tax-paying citizen who respects the government.
Watch it on: Peacock
Seinfeld: “The Truth” (Season 3, Episode 2)
Hmmm, maybe comedian Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) shouldn’t have donated 50 bucks to that Volcano Relief Fund to impress gal pal Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) on their first date. The charity was a fraud, so he’s being audited. Serenity now!
Watch it on: Netflix
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