*Yes, I've crossposted this from the DForum boards* ASPCA - Support the HAPPY Act I don't know about anyone else, but there's been few times in my life where I've gone an extended time without at least one pet roaming around at my heels. Currently, we've got two dogs, a lab-weimaraner mix, and a Great Dane who just turned one. There's been several studies done on the beneficial effects of pets on their owners including health and happiness including those done by UCal-Berkely, the University of Cambridge and at other research institutes across the world including University of Turku, in Finland. This bill was introduced to Congress in July of last year, and its been sitting. Even if you're not a pet owner/lover, there are likely people you know who are, there's really not a losing situation to show your support. Even if you lean democrat (yes, this bill was brought forward by a repulican,) pets don't have political pursuasions, and this shouldn't be looked at as a partisan issue, either. Support the HAPPY Act! Thanks -Todd
I'm all in favor of this because I've got a pasture full of sheep that are all my "pets." Where did I leave that calculator?
An interesting idea, but does it have a chance to go through? There are tax deductions for so many things, if it keeps up, soon there will be nothing left to tax rolleyes. I am not for or against this one way or another (I never am when it comes to politics), but there are probably dozens of things that make more sense to be able to claim as deductions... rent, healthcare, or HUMAN food maybe?
I hope it passes. One of the reasons I am a member of the Socialist Party, USA, is its strong stand against animal cruelty.
There are a lot of breaks out there on rent, healthcare, and food... Unless you're in the middle class and make too much to be eligible for them. Besides, with the middle class rate of obesity in America, it should would make sense to get deductions on food, so we can spend the same amount and all get even fatter... Besides, it would take away all the bonus money get from implementing fat taxes on fast food and junk food, if they had to give it all back in a deduction. And with the both the physcial and mental health benefits of owning pets, you could actually consider this a healthcare deduction in itself.
I don't know a whole lot about the HAPPY Act, but it doesn't sound like a very good idea to me. For starters, it's rather strange when you consider that child support isn't deductible. Also, how was this high number of $3,500 arrived at anyways? I see potential for veterinarian abuse in much the same way some not-so-ethical doctors already help clients take advantage of flexible savings accounts. For the record, I love pets (my dad owns the world's cutest Alaskan Malamute), but not this bill. Frankly, I wish there was a lot less spending so there'd be less need for taxes and these kinds of deductions in the first place.
And then there was the time when the very large Brown Shoe Company depreciated its employees, on its tax return, claiming that (for instance) if they bought a $10,000 machine, they could depreciate it, but if they spent $10,000 training an employee, who would stay an average of five years, was the human not as valuable as the machine? No, said the IRS, not surprisingly.
I'm always skeptical of items like the HAPPY Act but a bit of research indicates that the bill was introduced July 31, 2009 Search Results - THOMAS (Library of Congress)
