there’s is a bill being proposed in the house that would allow you to deduct pet expenses up to $3500 a year.
I thought this, “HAPPY” bill was a joke or something at first. If this is for real and passes that would be awesome for our whole hobby!
That would be sweet, my parents would not be so hesitant to spend money lol, lets hope it passes
(1) QUALIFIED PET- The term qualified pet’ means a legally owned, domesticated, live animal.
This description really has some grey areas in it.
i can hit that number by Jan 30. without even trying.
Ya, legally owned, while we have fish as pets we dont have papers on them. Like dogs, cats, ect all have paper… fish gerbils, hamsters all don’t come with papers, thus would they be legal… lol ahh that wouldbe so nice lol…
Well, it’s probally a good idea, if you aren’t doing it already, to start saving those receipts
define “domesticated”… id hate to see this pass and exclude aquarists >:::
If im not mistaken(industry guys jump in if im wrong) Delaware has very strict laws regarding exotics. I believe that technically almost any animal not native to the US is illeagal to own in DE without a license issued by the dept of agriculture(i think). I read up on DE law concerning exotics, herps specifically, but can not remember all the details. I just remember that DE is generally considered to be one of the tougher states in regards to owning exotics.
[quote=“logans_daddy, post:9, topic:2255”]
I just remember that DE is generally considered to be one of the tougher states in regards to owning exotics.[/quote]
Like a barking dog with no bite? Might be tough laws, but with 0 enforcement does it matter?
your right, my point was that i think it would be unlikely that this law would apply to unlicensed exotics
geez i cant wait for tax season again…sike…
this is the number one question i get from people with dogs and cats, or that dog that had a hip replaced, lol…somethin crazy all the time
$3,500 is the same amount they allow you to deduct for a dependent child or relative…
its hard for me to see them doing this for pets, but if they do everyone will be trying to write off the max…
i know i will be…because most people who dont own a home ( dont have real estate interest), really dont have a chance to itemize on their taxes…with $3500 pet expense, many people will be able to…
also if this were to go through ( again, this is hard for me to believe)…they would apply limitations based on your income most likely…so the more you make, the less you would be able to claim in pet expenses…
[quote=“longballz84, post:12, topic:2255”]
so the more you make, the less you would be able to claim in pet expenses…[/quote]
If only there were no cap on the oppisit, lol.
Well i live in PA, sucks for you guys. One time at just fish she got an alert about a new law… They dont want any lizards to be able to reproduce in captivity, so you are suppose to put them on birth control. Also you must have permits for something else. I know hermit crabs were included. I dont think they had decided on tropical fish yet, but someone should google it…
There is almost no chance of this going through, the gov cant afford to not get/lose anymore money…
Probably only if they are genetic decendants. That would solve the problem. Or creat a new one?
I don’t know. It boggles the mind to think about it. But I’m pretty dang sure they don’t intend to include corals or fish or inverts.
But maybe; LIVE ROCK!
Or Chia Pets?
If it passes it won’t take effect until next year. I have my doubts, but I think it is a good idea. Look at how many of us have pets.
That was my thoughts as well. Few of us just have fish and corals.
You get your papers for cats and dogs from vets. If required I could bring over an ichthyologist and some sort of coral scientist to sign off on the health and conditions of my animals. Then maybe I would have the paperwork required?
Maybe the IRS is just throwing in the towel on trying to track down all the people claiming Fido or Fluffy as a dependant. But i dont think it will pass.
Well, I would claim my entire setup. I bought it specifically for the viewing pleasure of my dog, so it is an allowable expense.
lol jocephus,
well how much could we write off on our reef tanks? salt, calcium and alkalinity? well i could get a new calcium reactor every year since they “deteriorate”, along with a two part solution for “adjusting” and that co2 tank, also its time to start using D-D h2ocean salt, and ill own stock in kent since everyone will start buying supplements. Time to buy the Superreef ultra coral accelorating, colorizing fish immortality snake oil. Also im gonna start feeding my snake gerbils 
BTW whoever said about the law of “legal” pets in delaware is right. For any non native species to delaware to be legal, you must have a permit or it must be on the “Excluded species list” which i cannot find anywhere. It is only enforced on snakes and some monitors, but it is that loophole that can exclude us exotic owners.