Our experience with the show America's Funniest Home Videos has been wonderful! Everyone associated with the show has been so kind to our family. We will never forget how much fun we had traveling to California and being named a weekly $10,000 winner! Being on the show has led to a lot of questions, so I will try to answer a few of them for those who have asked.
AFV FAQ:
1) Did they give you the money right then?
A: No, they sent it to us a couple of weeks after the show aired on ABC.
2) Did you have to pay taxes on the money?
A: Yes, the state of California got their piece of the pie before we got ours.
3) Did they pay for your trip?
A: Yes, they paid for the flight, hotel room, food, and all travel expenses.
4) When are you going back?
A: We will film the show on January 19th. It will air sometime in February. I promise to let everyone know an exact date as soon as we know!
5) How will they decide who wins the $100,000?
A: Originally we were told that people would be able to vote for their favorite video online. Then we were told there had been a change. We will film the show at a larger venue than last time, and the larger studio audience will vote to determine the winner. So yes, we will know who won before we come home, and no, we still won't be able to tell anybody for a month!
Several people have asked about the tax thing, particularly if we win the $100,000 prize. Actually, they have said things like, "Man, do you realize how much you're going to have to pay in taxes if you win that money?" To which I say: Yes, we are going to have to pay taxes on the money if we win it. But no matter how much we have to pay in taxes, whatever is left will be more than we started with, so it's hard for me to complain! My kids are overjoyed at the idea of playing with confetti. Seriously. They have already informed me multiple times that even if we don't win, we will still get to play with confetti. And that's what's important, right?
One of my favorite moments in this whole thing happened the day the prize money check arrived in the mail. I held up the FedEx envelope excitedly and said, "Look girls! Guess what's in here? It's a check! It's the prize money from AFV!" Savannah began to dance around, but Sharlee looked a little confused...and sad. "What on Earth is wrong with you?" I asked. She looked down at her feet and said, "I guess I just thought it would be in a bag." Gotta love some cartoons!
That's awesome! The reason I found this is because my family is going to be on AFV next week and was looking to see if anybody has posted on this experience. We are very excited, and thanks for your informative blog! My family also has questions about the taxes, and my response... It's a free trip to LA, even if there was no prize money who can say they were on AFV! Thanks Again!
ReplyDeleteHi, Paul! Congratulations!!!! We had such a wonderful experience with AFV. The crew, host, and producers were so professional and kind. They really do pay for everything. It will take several days (or weeks) to be reimbursed for baggage fees and to get prize money, but it is worth the wait! Your family will be taken care of extremely well during your visit, with per diem money for each day of travel and a wonderful hotel. And yes, there are taxes, but again - what a NEAT experience! We will never forget it. Please tell everyone there "hello" from the Shumpert family and that we miss them! Have a wonderful trip, and good luck!
DeleteHello and congrats! how long take to find out if you are in fter they send you the paperwork that needs to be signed
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