Cattlemen urge Congress to address expired tax extenders legislation

Source: National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA),  along with the Public Lands Council (PLC) and 37 additional agriculture groups sent a letter to House and Senate leadership urging Congress to take up legislation addressing expired tax extenders. NCBA President Philip Ellis of Chugwater, Wyo., said it is critical to address expired tax provisions for long-term business planning.
“Farmers and ranchers like myself rely on a stable and predictable tax code in order to plan purchases, make investments, and grow their businesses,” said Ellis. “Each year producers make significant financial determinations, and Congress’ failure to act on permanent tax reform has placed greater reliance on extender legislation over the past few years.”
The letter specifically focuses on Section 179 and bonus depreciation, which allows producers to write off a greater part of capital expenditures in the year that purchases were made rather than depreciate them over time. This provides an incentive for farmers and ranchers to invest in their businesses and offers the benefit of reducing the record-keeping burden associated with depreciation.
Under the expired law, the maximum amount that a small business can immediately expense when purchasing business assets is $25,000, adjusted for inflation, with the rest to be depreciated over time/ The groups are encouraging Congress to restore the maximum amount of expensing under Section 179 to $500,000, as it was set in 2014.
Furthermore, the groups urge Congress to reinstate the expired 50 percent bonus depreciation for the purchase of new capital assets, including agricultural equipment and buildings.
“The failure to renew these expired provisions of the tax code will place additional burdens on farm and ranch families who are asset-rich and cash-poor and already face the uncertainties of weather, market prices and international competition,” the letter reads.
Greater certainty in the tax code supports small businesses and rural America. NCBA continues to call on Congress take up a multi-year comprehensive tax extenders package, providing much-needed stability for 2016 and beyond.