If you choose to adopt a shelter dog, please research and consider your decision carefully. It is a long term commitment.
If you choose to act as a temporary guardian, foster parent, or rescue/shelter volunteer, there may be some benefits for you to consider. See the "tax" article below ... and the Bud Light commercial too.
Disclaimer: Not every rescue dog you claim from a shelter will be able to retrieve you beer. Think carefully before you adopt.
Click HERE for the Bud Light / Weego Facebook page.
Tax breaks for pet foster parents...make sure you claim yours
June 16th, 2011 by Amy Rossi
In a landmark tax court case, Jan Van Dusen emerged victorious against the IRS. Van Dusen claimed many tax deductions on her 2004 tax return, for all the expenditures she'd put out for the 70 (yes, you read that correctly) stray and feral cats she had fostered, as part of her volunteer work with Fix Our Ferals, a non-profit California charity.
Van Dusen claimed over $12,000 related to cat food, vet bills, garbage bags, and other items for her care of the cats. In 2009, a judge finally ruled that because her expenses were used toward a charitable organization, she was legally allowed to claim them. In fact, 90 percent of her vet bills, cleaning supplies, and food was tax deductible.
What does this mean for you?If you've ever fostered an animal or know anyone who has, you're probably aware of the expenses associated with it. Beside just opening your heart and home to an unfamiliar animal, you also usually have to provide food, gas used to transport the animal to vet appoitments or potential adopter meetings, and all the supplies that come with taking care of an animal.
"People have claimed these types of expenses before, thinking it makes sense because they're doing this service for a charitable organization, they should be able to recoup some of their out-of-pocket costs," said Rachel Hirschfeld, estate planner since 1999 and pet trust lawyer who created the Pet Protection Agreement found on LegalZoom.com. Hirschfeld was one of the first in the country to focus on pet trust laws for the security of pets' futures in cases where their owners might no longer be able to care for them.
Click HERE to read the rest of the article.
Consult with a tax professional before making any decisions or taking action.
"Remember that as of right now, the only tax-deductible purchases are for foster pets, not resident pets"
Some of our other pet related blogs...
Home Safety: Make Your Yard a "No-Bite" Zone This Summer
Make Pet Micro-chipping a Part of Disaster Preparedness
* The content of this blog is for informative purposes only. It does not reflect official standing of any agent, agency, or company mentioned on the blog. Nor is this blog necessarilly an endorsement. Please consult with your insurance, tax, or legal specialist before making any decisions. This blog is purely meant to spark the thought process.
