Want a $2,500 Tax Break? Virginia May Soon Okay It If You Shoot Your Loved One’s Ashes Into Space
- Posted on December 12, 2011 at 1:29pm by
Liz Klimas
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(Photo: Screenshot from Celestis video)
With the space tourism industry growing and trips costing $20,000 or more, it may seem too good to be true to get a tax break along with your flight up to to the final frontier. And that’s because it is too good to be true, unless your final wish was to be buried among the cosmos.
New legislation proposed by Virginia Del. Terry Kilgore, R-Gate City, according to the Washington Examiner, will go to General Assembly next year in the hopes of getting approval offer a tax break for shooting the cremated remains of loved ones into space.
Under the proposed legislation, those choosing this burial option would be offered a $2,500 tax deduction — up to $8,000 per household. What’s the point of offering a tax incentive for space burial? The Washington Examiner reports it would help drum up Virigina’s commercial space industry, which is already worth $7.6 billion in annual economic output and created 28,000 jobs.
The Examiner reports that currently only one company in the U.S. offers space burials:
Houston-based Celestis bases its charges on how far into space customers want to go. For $1,000, a person’s earthly remains are launched into space but return to Earth. Having one’s remains sent to the moon costs $10,000. And a deep space burial is $12,500.
Celestis founder Charles Chafer said he doesn’t know of any state that offers tax credits for space burial. He said the credit could help with his company’s visibility, but would probably also attract competitors, as Virginia companies start to take advantage of the market opened up by the tax break.
Learn more about space burial from Celestis in this video:
The LA Times reports that space burials began in 1997 and those who have taken part include “Star Trek” actor James Doohan.
[H/T Gizmodo]
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thegreatcarnac
Posted on December 12, 2011 at 8:35pmJust think….granny can be stardust.
Report Post »dnewton
Posted on December 12, 2011 at 5:42pmThere is enough junk in space already. The only good thing is that there is at least some competition for traditional burial and the cremains don’t have to be protected either. Some states require the cremains to be in a canister that can be retrieved.
Report Post »hi
Posted on December 12, 2011 at 4:46pmThat’s gross. I don’t want dead people ashes fallIng on me.
Report Post »tharpdevenport
Posted on December 12, 2011 at 4:00pmI’ll pay $10,000 a piece to put Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid there.
Report Post »becca_leigh
Posted on December 12, 2011 at 3:23pmAs a life-long Virginian, I’d rather have a one-time tax for us to all chip in and send Kilgore into space….this is so embarrassing!! not sure where exactly Gates County is but I’m starting to think that the only good part of VA is the Hampton Roads area
Report Post »PureDrumFury
Posted on December 12, 2011 at 3:04pmWhat if the Seventh Day Adventists are right, and we get our bodies back when Heaven is established on Earth? It would sure suck to wake up next to some star named Fernobulax-428b with no way to get home.
Report Post »Rayblue
Posted on December 12, 2011 at 2:37pmThe heck with ashes. What if you just shoot your loved ones into space ?
Report Post »For 10 cents I’d move to Virginia to send my liberal son in law into orbit.
But I’ll probably have to wait till next year. When it’ll be legal.
Tyson
Posted on December 12, 2011 at 2:36pmI have always wanted to be an Astronaut.
Report Post »Detroit paperboy
Posted on December 12, 2011 at 1:37pmThey should consider giving tax breaks for rounding up illegals , i bet that problem would go away overnight…. Fifty bucks a head x 40 million= wow
Report Post »CultureWarriors
Posted on December 12, 2011 at 2:16pmInsanity!
Report Post »booger71
Posted on December 12, 2011 at 2:26pmI would take a couple of mill of that action.
Report Post »JLGunner
Posted on December 12, 2011 at 2:46pmThats the American spririt, we will always find a way to solve our own problems aaaaaand make it fun.
Report Post »DAVIDTHETANK
Posted on December 12, 2011 at 4:32pmWho needs a big government, we can solve all these problems with common sense. You guys have some great ideas!!
Report Post »asybot12
Posted on December 12, 2011 at 1:35pmfor a minute I thought it said …. well you figure it out!!!
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