Originally Posted by FL370esq

Are we talking Angus, Longhorn, Waygu or Kobe? 😁

By trading the meat away, the farmer has no accession to wealth because, at the end, it's a zero sum game for him. He has less in his meat locker now in exchange for a painted barn so his overall wealth remains unchanged. If the farmer tills the painter's back 40, his meat locker remains unchanged - he has not given up anything (other than his time and effort) but his efforts got him a painted barn which is the exchange of a service for a service and therefore it becomes income valued at the fair market value of the service received.

Clear as mud?

If only the Super Bowl was as "exciting" as a Sunday evening tax discussion. 😁