| 1/30/2013 |
Finn bill would exempt service animals’ needs from sales tax
STATE HOUSE – Rep. Linda Finn has introduced legislation to provide an exemption to the new sales tax on pet care services for those provided to service animals.
As part of the 2013 state budget, Rhode Island’s 7-percent sales tax was extended effective Oct. 1, 2012, to include non-veterinary pet services like grooming, boarding and training.
Representative Finn’s bill would give the owners of service animals – such as assistance, therapy or companion animals who serve the blind or disabled – an exemption to the sales tax for such services provided to those animals, as well as for food and supplies for them.
Representative Finn said a constituent who has a service dog brought the issue to her attention, and that she believes taxing the disabled was an unintended consequence of last year’s extension of the sales tax.
“We don’t tax prescriptions, medical equipment, prosthetics and other things that people need as a result of medical issues or disabilities. Service animals and the items those animals need should fall into the same kind of sales tax exemption,” said Representative Finn (D-Dist. 72, Middletown, Portsmouth).
The legislation (2013-H 5049) would create a sales tax exemption for feed, harnesses and other equipment or supplies for service animals as well as for any grooming or boarding services for them.
“The new tax was supposed to affect the owners of pets, but service animals are something other than pets. They are specially trained to serve the special needs of disabled people, and our state should classify their needs and supplies differently than those of pets,” said Representative Finn. “The amount of revenue the state would lose probably wouldn’t be all that significant, and maybe the savings to individuals with service dogs wouldn’t be enormous, either. But the principle is important. Rhode Island doesn’t tax medical necessities, and service animals and the goods and services they need should be counted among those.”
The legislation, which is the first bill sponsored by the newly elected Representative Finn, was introduced Jan. 10 and assigned to the House Finance Committee. It is cosponsored by Rep. Katherine S. Kazarian (D-Dist. 63, East Providence) and Rep. Cale P. Keable (D-Dist. 47, Burrillville, Glocester).
For more information, contact:
Meredyth R. Whitty, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-2457 |
LEGISLATIVE INFO
