New 5% Tax starting January 2010?

[Jjarden]

Hi All,

 

Have you all heard of the new 5% "Cosmetic Tax" that will be in place January 1st, 2010?

 

Hair Transplants fall under "Cosmetic Procedures"

 

What if we pay a Doctor this month (December) and have the procedure in January or February? Is this a way to get out of paying the Tax?

 

Will Hair Surgeons lose business?

 

What do think about the whole thing?

[Drew35]

That is a PROPOSED tax that Democrats have inserted into the Health Care Bill.

 

 

NOTHING has been officially passed.

 

Senate Bill Would Tax Cosmetic Surgery

 

By Janet Adamy

 

Say hello to the nose job tax.

 

To raise money for the health overhaul, Democrats are proposing a new 5% tax on elective cosmetic procedures. The tax was a surprise addition to the sweeping 2,074-page bill that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid unveiled late Wednesday. It generates $5 billion over a decade for the plan, which is expected to cost $849 billion over a decade.

 

The tax would fall on the individuals who undergo the procedures. If they don't pay it when they're billed for their surgery, then it falls to the provider who performed the procedure.

 

Not all cosmetic surgeries would get taxed. According to the bill, the tax would only apply if the surgery 'is not necessary to ameliorate a deformity arising from, or directly related to, a congenital abnormality, a personal injury resulting from an accident or trauma, or disfiguring disease.' It would take effect Jan. 1.

 

So what do plastic surgeons think of this? We called the American Society of Plastic Surgeons three times Wednesday night. The line was busy each time.

 

 

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/...ax-cosmetic-surgery/

[Bill - Seemiller]

I actually originally heard 10% however, like Drew said, I don't believe anything was passed.

 

See Congress Proposes 10% Tax on All Cosmetic Procedures.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[Jjarden]

Thanks Guys,

 

I thought it was a done deal, but I guess not.

 

I'm hoping to get my transplant in January or February.

 

Thank You

[aaron1234]

10%?!? Sheesh. And make no mistake, that's coming out of the consumer's pocket. So a 10K procedure now will end up being 11K if this thing passes.

[the B spot]

I think one could argue that hairloss is not actually "cosmetic"....rather, a repair of a defect....like a person who is born without a finder or a cleft palate....we are born with a genetic predisposition to baldness.

 

Interesting.

[Balboa]

im guessing this is just a USA/Canada thing, if this does happen its gonna put some guys off going to the US/CANADA and maybe sticking to europe and as far as TAX etc. goes if your paying cash im sure youl get away with not having to pay it.

[TheEmperor]

Can the USA tax money spent in Canada?

[Forrest Gump]

Originally posted by TheEmperor:

Can the USA tax money spent in Canada?

 

In Canada, they already have a 5% tax on HT surgeries. To the best of my knowledge, the Canadian HT doctors charge a 5% GST (or maybe more, depending on the province) on all HT procedures. Someone from Canada correct me if I am wrong.

[rpachigo]

The dreaded Botax. Hopefully the whole enchilada ends up in a ball of flame.