The Lesson is, or should be, Clear…  

...don't ask helicopter pilots about taxes. Go to your nearest tax preparer, give them all the facts, and you will get the correct answer. ...aaaaaand, if it happens not to be correct for some reason, and you use a tax preparer, they will be financially responsible for any penalties or assessments that may occur.

See?

It's called division of labor: You do your job of helicopter flying, and let a professional tax preparer do your taxes.

And never ask a helicopter pilot about anything, including helicopter flying. The accident rate should tell you that much.