Posted on 12/04/2017 6:32:25 PM PST by golux
The GOP tax plan was passed through the Senate Friday night in a 51-49 vote. There are a number of things included in the last-minute text, including a provision by Sen. Gardner of Colorado that exempts Kombucha, a fermented tea drink, from alcoholic taxes and regulations.
Why it matters: These are small examples of what got slipped in the bill last-minute as the Senate vote neared, and some reveal senators' pet projects back in their home states.
Odd amendments included in the tax plan:
Sen. Orrin Hatch
Prohibit things like cash and gift cards to be given as employee achievement awards. Makes qualifying private religious school tuition deductible. Sen. Joni Ernst
Eliminate Congress' tax deduction for living expenses in D.C. Per the Omaha World-Herald, Ernst said: "Congress should lead by example and offer up its own unnecessary tax break." Sen. Jerry Moran
Treat Indian tribal governments as State governments for specific Federal tax purposes, and others. Sen. Pat Toomey
Tax exemption for Hillsdale College (and only Hillsdale College) in Michigan. The small Christian college has connections to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. It was ultimately struck out of the Senate's final version of the bill. Sen. Dan Sullivan
Exempts cruise ships from taxes while docking in Alaska. Sen. Cory Gardner
Exempts kombucha, a fermented tea, from alcoholic beverage excise taxes and regulations. Allow deductions and credits relating to expenditures in connection with legal marijuana sales.
We have a Republic, if we can keep it.
Sen. Orrin Hatch
Prohibit things like cash and gift cards to be given as employee achievement awards
That said, it was my experience that giving employees frozen turkeys for Thanksgiving was better than giving them money.
When you give them money, they look at it are like, “Is that all?”
But when you give them a turkey, it’s, “Thanks.”
Kombucha isn’t alcohol, so why should it be taxed as alcohol. (Yes, it could have a fraction of a percent of alcohol in it)
For some reason, giving actual food is more appreciated than cash...
Strange, but true.
Just another days at the sausage factory...
Funny - I have three gift cards (for the local grocery store) that I received as gifts and they are still hanging on my bulletin board. I guess I should just use them rather than waiting for me to think of “something special” (rutabegas?) to use them on.
Of course, I guess it beats three unused turkeys hanging on my wall.
Well here’s an odd one. How about 80% of all the small business is in America are exempt from this tax cutsbecause were all services. As far as I’m concerned this is an epic failure and not good for my business or my employees. As they went after doctors and lawyers they screwed the rest of us.
Does this mean that people in states where it's legal can buy edibles for recreational use and deduct that?
“Kombucha isn’t alcohol, so why should it be taxed as alcohol. (Yes, it could have a fraction of a percent of alcohol in it)”
Because if you are looking to tax everything that moves or is stationary so long as you can come up with a rationale to tax something, because kombucha has a tiny bit of alcohol in it, it should be taxed. Do you want the cash equivalent of the tax bite to stay in the pocket of the greedy kombucha consumer when it could go to the tax man to pay for lgbtxyz?
Not to the panhandlers around here. They throw food away. Cash can buy drugs and booze.
It has been known for several days but this person apparently is incapable of doing research.
So, is there any reason why I should believe anything else this person types?
I think it means that legal marijuana sales related businesses would be allowed to deduct business expenses, etc. from their federal taxes.
Amen to that! I guarantee republicans didn’t read this bill either
Thank you! That makes more sense.
Hatch slightly lowered individual income rates and increased the child tax credit to $2,000. (The credit is currently $1,000 per child, and the first Senate draft would have bumped it up to $1,650.) But like the rest of the individual provisions, including a repeal of the alternative-minimum tax and the doubling of the estate-tax exemption, those perks would go away in eight years.That's right, expires in 2025
About time Congress played (and payed) by the rules they make for everyone else.
Kombucha gets guzzled by young kids as a healthy drink. I’ve seen it. Not sure it’s good for them in large quantities.
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