Posted on December 15, 2009 by Deirdre Wheatley-Liss

Tax Deduction for Dependent Pets?

I love animals - I have 2 large and happy labs, and have had a host of cats, dogs, fish, rabbits, guinea pigs and mice over the years.  My dogs are truly family members and I am not sure they don't think they are children with furry coats.

Apparently U.S. Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, R-Mich., also loves pets, because he has sponsored the The Humanity and Pets Partnered through the Years (HAPPY) Act, which would permit an income tax deduction of up to $3500 a year.  Seriously - this legislation is being put before Congress.  As an opinion piece from the Press of Atlantic City points out "With 62 percent of American homes owning a pet, that bill could cost a lot of tax money at a time when the federal government can least afford it."

A pet owner who can't care for his or her pet is heartbreaking - the op-ed piece shares the story of an elderly couple who had to turn in their German Shepherd for adoption because they couldn't care for him.

Unfortunately our tax woes go beyond our pets. It saddens me that congressmen waste their time issuing legislation that has no chance of going anywhere instead of looking at the real fact that our government spends more money then it takes in.  As in small business owner will tell you, that is a recipe for disaster. 

So Congress, get real and spend your time on legislation that addresses the fact that the elderly couple above couldn't afford to feed themselves, much less their dogs.

And for you pet lovers out there like me, take a page from the Atlantic City Press and donate pet food to a local food bank - Fido, Fifi and their owners will thank you (woof).

Image: freedigitalphotos.net

Tags: , , , ,
Posted on December 10, 2009 by Deirdre Wheatley-Liss

Charitable Deduction from an Estate?

A great answer to a frequently asked question when handling a loved ones estate was recently posted by taxgirl.com.

Here is the situation - Grandma wanted to give $10,000 to the ASPCA.  She told everyone in the family, but didn't put it in her Will. Can the deduction for a charitable contribution still be made?

Like all good questions - the answer is yes and no (isn't the law great?).  Taxgirl summarizes the issues nicely:

Here’s the unhappy rule: if a charitable donation is not specifically authorized in a will or trust, the estate may not properly take a deduction for the donation. <snip>

However, there is some light at the end of the tunnel. Individuals may properly donate items which pass to them from an estate and claim a charitable deduction on their personal return. 

So what to do.  Well, you could take $10,000 from your share of the estate and donate it to charity. Grandma's wishes would be honored, and you would be able to take the deduction on your personal tax return. If there are 4 beneficiaries, each could donate $2500 in her honor.

What if the item to be donated isn't cash, but stuff?  For example, donating all of Grandma's furniture and household items to charity? In that case the best idea is to value the property (have a personal property appraiser come in), distribute the property to the beneficiaries, and then the beneficiaries can take the charitable deduction on their tax returns.  Note that there is not a requirement that the beneficiaries physically take ownership of the property - the property could be transferred to the beneficiaries via an assignment and then all the personal property picked up by the charity at the house.

Tags: , , , ,