A Congressman from Michigan introduced a bill that would give pet owners a tax break on veterinary care and other expenses.
Comments on a Consumer Reports blog post on the topic go in one of two polar opposite ways, either totally supportive or totally insulted by the idea.
Some examples:
Brilliant. Now people will be able to afford the high neutering expenses. Healthy animals are always a good thing. I know a lot of people who do a lot of good that will hopefully catch a break.
Let me see if I’ve got this right, we can’t insure American PEOPLE, services to the poor and indigent are being cut but we’re going to allow a tax break for pet care. Seriously? Really? We’ve clearly lost all sense of common sense.
Why not a tax break for jewelry, or chocolate, or any of the other gazillion luxuries that people don’t really need but should enjoy if it’s within their means.
Honestly, I think this is a great idea. I have two dogs and a cat. When I first adopted the cat last year she came home sick from the shelter, it took three vet visits to clear her issues up. Then I adopted the two dogs. One of them gets yeast ear infections easy, had a chipped tooth, and hurt her leg. This year alone I have spent nearly $2,000 in vet bills.
I don’t mind the bills, the animals are more than worth it. But if I am getting medical treatment for a living animal, why shouldn’t that be tax deductible? My healthcare is. Besides that, I think tax on vet services is wrong. The State/county I live in requires those services to be taxed.
As a life-long, multiple-pet owner, this is nearly as idiotic as as the central government’s take over of the auto and banking industries. In fact, it redefines asininity.