NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A3264
SPONSOR: Sayegh TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the tax law, in relation to establishing a tax credit
for the adoption of pets
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
Provides for tax credit for the adoption of pets from animal shelters
(up to $125)
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends Section 606 of the tax law by adding a new subsection
(kkk) (kkk) Credit for the adoption of pets.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORIGINAL AND AMENDED VERSION (IF APPLICABLE):
Not applicable
JUSTIFICATION:
A pet is a wonderful companion that can provide years of happiness to
owners across all walks of life. According to the ASPCA, 6.5 million
companion animals enter shelters in the United States each year. Of
these 6.5 million, 1.5 million animals are euthanized due to their
inability to be adopted in a timely fashion.
Pets also play a significant economic role. According to the American
Pet Products Association, Americans spent an estimated 72.56 billion
dollars on veterinary care, food, and supplies in 2018, a number that
managed to increase drastically even through economic slowdowns such as
the Great Recession. This legislation would create an additional incen-
tive alongside the years of companionship that a pet can provide, by
crediting a prospective owner with a one-time tax credit for the cost of
adoption up to one hundred twenty-five dollars per animal or the actual
cost of such adoption, whichever is less, per taxable year.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2019 (Sayegh) - Introduced
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
To be determined
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to pet adoptions
in taxable years beginning on and after the first of January next
succeeding the date on which it shall have become law
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
3264
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 22, 2021
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SAYEGH, COLTON, CRUZ, EPSTEIN, BRABENEC, MANKTE-
LOW -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ABBATE, WALCZYK -- read once and
referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
AN ACT to amend the tax law, in relation to establishing a tax credit
for the adoption of pets
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 606 of the tax law is amended by adding a new
2 subsection (kkk) to read as follows:
3 (kkk) Credit for the adoption of pets. (1) General. An individual
4 taxpayer shall be allowed a credit for taxable years beginning on or
5 after January first, two thousand twenty-three against the tax imposed
6 by this article for the cost of adopting pets per taxable year from a
7 qualifying animal shelter. The amount of the credit shall be one hundred
8 twenty-five dollars per animal or the actual cost of such adoption,
9 whichever is less, per taxable year.
10 (2) Definitions. For the purposes of this subsection:
11 (A) The term "pet" shall mean any dog, cat or other domesticated
12 animal kept for the primary purpose of companionship that is normally
13 maintained in or near the household of the owner or person who cares for
14 such domesticated animal, provided that keeping such animal is not in
15 violation of any applicable provisions of federal, state or local law.
16 (B) The term "qualifying animal shelter" shall mean any pound, shel-
17 ter, duly incorporated society for the prevention of cruelty to animals,
18 duly incorporated humane society or duly incorporated animal protective
19 association that operates physical animal sheltering facilities and
20 offers pets to the public for adoption by way of an established adoption
21 program or any municipal pound or shelter harboring animals pursuant to
22 subdivision one of section one hundred fourteen of the agriculture and
23 markets law. Such facilities shall not be co-located on a residential
24 premises.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02599-01-1
A. 3264 2
1 (3) Eligibility. To qualify for the credit prescribed in this
2 subsection, an individual taxpayer must provide proof of animal owner-
3 ship in the form of an adoption agreement from a qualifying animal shel-
4 ter as defined in this subsection.
5 (4) When credit allowed. The credit provided for in this subsection
6 shall be allowed with respect to the taxable year, commencing after
7 January first, two thousand twenty-three, in which the pet is adopted.
8 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to pet
9 adoptions in taxable years beginning on and after the first of January
10 next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
