Bagging the Trophy Tax Break

NY Times ^ | April 11, 2005 | MEATHEAD EDITORIAL

[neverdem]

All the cunning of human nature at finding holes in the tax code was on display at a Senate hearing last week in the form of the mounted head of an African springbok - a bounding creature so delicate in life, so valuable in death as a charity write-off. The animal was a compelling Exhibit A as officials described how sportsmen and their accountants chisel the tax code with high-powered rifles.

Hunters underwrite exotic vacations by claiming deductions for trophy game, over-generously appraised as charity donations for questionable "museums." "Hunt for Free," advertises one purveyor of this growing abuse. "We'll suggest what extra animals to take and donate for tax savings."

The Humane Society of the United States and the Internal Revenue Service have been tracking the scam, finding trophy game heads stacked by the hundreds in storage rooms. One seldom-visited operation tucked away on a back road in Nebraska eventually sold $4 million in appraised mounts for less than $70,000 at true-market auctions, according to The Washington Post. An accompanying photograph showed an old railroad car filled with no fewer than 800 stuffed creatures -ibex, moose, a rare red lechwe, bobcats, leopards, an African bongo and more. The car resembled a train of crowded, comatose commuters, not the rare glimpse of nature promised by defenders of this appalling harvest.

Changes in the tax law were vowed by the hearing's chairman, Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa. He featured the springbok as the opening attraction in an investigation into the fakery behind art and other non-cash donations that are flooding compliant nonprofit institutions. With the springbok trophy symbolizing greed more than sport, Internal Revenue officials told of what a jungle it is to monitor nonprofits, now numbering three million organizations listing $8 trillion in assets.

[neverdem]

Please investigate the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) while you're at it. They are the politically correct face of PETA and ALF.

Here's two links from there homepage. Their ultimate intention is to ban hunting, not help animal shelters, IMHO. Commercial hunting is the first target.

Chronic Wasting Disease Strikes New York: The HSUS Calls for a Ban on Canned Hunts

Senate Resolution Denounces Violent Hunting and Slaughter of Dolphins and Small Whales

[neverdem]

there homepage = their homepage

[kcvl]

Hunters underwrite exotic vacations by claiming deductions for trophy game, over-generously appraised as charity donations for questionable "museums."

Sounds much like the CLINTON LIEbrary.

[GSlob]

Well, the easiest way to sort it out would be to abolish charitable tax preference. Besides, the moral merit of charitable donation is obviously higher then the donor takes it entirely out of his/her pocket, without forcing other taxpayers into involuntary participation.

[LibertarianInExile]

I notice there's no mention of the billions we spend on subsidizing big agriculture in this country, which keeps world prices depressed and American farmers either broke or teetering over the chasm of bankruptcy.

But of course, Senator Grassley, let's do watch out for the big money thieves! After all, I'm sure Bob's Big Game filches five to ten million a year! /sarc

Another study in distraction while the masses baa contentedly and watch their TVs.

[lepton]

Besides, the moral merit of charitable donation is obviously higher then the donor takes it entirely out of his/her pocket, without forcing other taxpayers into involuntary participation.

They do take it entirely out of their pocket. They just don't have to pay a surcharge.

[sergeantdave]

I see that congress is not investigating the Marxist money laundering operation called the Tides Foundation. That might hit too close to Sen. Kerry and upset the good ol' boys club called the US Senate.

[GSlob]

To the extent of tax deductibility they take it from my pocket as well - and I object.