And? Is that not what the free market decides? What if I’d rather that money go to a local contractor to rebuild my deck?

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In a down economy they will both struggle.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Deduct all your gasoline and dining out purchases. Easy.

Struggle is fine. The airlines, hotels and restaurants are in much more of an existential fight. I'm actually pro letting them all fail, but the government isn't going to let that happen. A bottom up stimulus is certainly more palatable than another giant corporate bailout, would you agree?

Bail them out. Take equity in the company for repayment until they can "buy back the shares".

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

I thought the share buyback eterno-pump was the kind of thing we were trying to avoid?

Right. Instead of burying the dead hooker in the desert you need to bring her body to the IRS office to prove you went on a vacation.

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Come April you'll owe $4000 less to the government and with that you can build your deck.

Not with equity.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

As long as it's over $50 and away from home. And you only get half back up to $4000.

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No I won't. Because I already spent the money on travel. Double that amount actually. At out of market businesses. So this doesn't help my local businesses at all.

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It's a write off.

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Correct, but to actualize the full $4000 write off, I have to spend $8000 in out of market qualified businesses. So I've spent $4000 extra to begin with, and I'm not helping local business. Isn't that was all the "OPEN RIGHT NOW!!!" people have been so focused on?

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That's the joke.

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I've already got a tournament in Myrtle Beach and travels to college I have to make so it is nice they can be done with tax savings. Now I have to find a way to make it a business trip to cover the rest.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Maybe do a couple no contest divorces while you are down there.

Is it discussed as a credit or a deduction above the standard deduction?

If I'm allowed to write off commuting to see my dad, that's 16 trips in a year at an average of about $250 a trip, which was my pre-COVID budget if he never came down here. Good enough for round trip airfare, airport parking, and occasionally a rental car. But since my dad is my dependent, that really shouldn't be allowed.

I had planned a trip to the Pacific Coast of Washington for this past March. If I do it next summer when the weather is nicer, that's probably $1800 for 6 days and 5 nights.

I was going to do a trip of the Badlands and Yellowstone in 2017 but that's when my heart valve started getting iffy so I had cancelled it. That's probably about the same if I went early in the season.

If he is up to it, I will take my dad to DC and try to tour the White House and the Capitol, and do the on/off tour bus loop of the Memorials. It's been 45 years since he was there.

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"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

Vacations, or college visits, I'm sure we would use it. But it does seem to be the opposite of the general "guidelines" of opening up but staying smart about it.

As things open up, we can support local businesses, but still do our best to stay "socially distant" and "retreat" to our homes at the end of day. This credit is the BOGO offer, but only good if you travel all over the country.

Is this the same as your mortgage interest deduction and property tax? Because those really don't make a difference for me now since they changed the rules.

I think somewhere between 40-50% of lost jobs are in the tourism/hospitality industry. Most hotels are franchises and depending on the size employ a good number of people. Close to 80% of businesses that operate in tourism and hospitality are small businesses. It's a large industry, employer, and a money maker for its cities. I don't know how they are surviving or how they'd continue like this.

Most people I know have cancelled summer trips or things were cancelled for them. They aren't making new plans. Some don't have the money, some are afraid, who knows what's open? When it comes down to it the industry is a luxury and some people I know are not spending money or going somewhere due to fear. This doesn't really force them to but it makes it desirable to and help the economy of an industry that could be devastated. And as Douchebag said the taxpayers aren't on the hook for bailing anybody out or just handing business cash which they might or might not use well.

Rick said it's dumb but he'll do it. That's the point. I'll look into it for sure.

Those uncontested ones.

will dennis get the tax credit for living in his wisconsin home

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

The point is the travel industry isn't special. Why should a hotel get a boost but not your local burger place?

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

you can still do curbside pick up !!!!

I'm going to have to run it by Darkside first for his permission for me to travel.

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I think the travel industry is pretty special. It generates billions of dollars and employs 10s or 100s of thousands of people.

https://www.ustravel.org/economic-impact#or

The federal government is doing what it can for an industry that could be crippled for years. Our local government and our local businesses have been very good about supporting our community and we in turn are doing what we can for them. I'm not sure I understand why you believe trying something for one means a slight to the other or why a local place might not feel a positive impact from this idea. I think it really is better than here, here's some money also.

Last year I think IL had over 100 million visitors and a lot are over the summer. With lots of things canceled anything that will incentivize people to come here or go anywhere is a good thing. Where do you think states will get lost revenue from if they don't start making money?

Give people 4k and let them spend it however they want then. The travel industry isn't going away.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

I don't think I'd spend 4k right now, certainly not on travel. And where are they going to get 4k from to give to us?

Like a dozen other countries are doing this same thing and oddly enough its not coming with this retarded debate anywhere else.

Well you don't get the tax break until April.

Ask them where the funding is coming from.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!