TESTING THE ALPACA INDUSTRY . . . HOW CAN THAT BE DONE WITHOUT A LOT OF MONEY!

Today’s economy has most of us wondering what it is going to take to turn things around. There are lots of theories and much is being tested. Being a rather conservative retired accountant I believe in a very conservative approach. Do what you can . . . today. If you have a goal, make careful slow steps toward that goal. Being an alpaca breeder, I want people to buy alpacas, breedings and alpaca related products. What can be done to encourage a market with so many problems to purchase any of the above?

Guess, we all just need to be creative and do what we can to work together. So if your goal is to have alpacas but in this economy it just seems really scary . . . test the waters. But how do you do that?

1. Buy a few males to make sure you enjoy having them around. After you are confident you want to take the next then you can think about females and the higher price tag that comes along with them.

2. Buy a package of females that includes their breedings for the first two years. That way you can concentrate your efforts on developing your business knowing that you are not required to come up with those additional funds.

3. Lease a package of bred females. Now there is a concept. How do you lease an alpaca? The farm agrees to transfer all care and responsibility for the animal for a specific period of time . . . a year for example. In that year you are completely responsible for its care . . . feeding, husbandry, shearing, veterinary care, insurance . . . just as if you owned it. At the end of the year you have a cria who will be yours . . . free and clear. You now just need to decide whether you want to continue leasing that particular female or return her.

It is truly a time for us all to get creative (regardless of our industry) and find methods that work for a wide scope of customers—we are not in a one size fits all economy. This is a wonderful industry and we need to craft different financial tools to allow more people to join us without creating huge monetary obstacles in their paths.

So if you have been sitting on the fence wondering whether alpacas are right for you . . . give a call to your favorite alpaca breeder and see if they can come up with a plan that will work for you.

President scheduled to sign legislation to extend increased Section 179 limits through 2010

President Obama is scheduled to sign the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act tomorrow.  It contains a variety of provisions to encourage employers to add employees to their payrolls and to invest in equipment.  The provision we are noting today relates to Section 179.

CODE SEC. 179 EXPENSING

For 2009, the maximum Code Sec.179 deduction was $250,000 and the phase-out limit for qualifying property purchased during the year began at $800,000. First introduced in 2008, enhanced Code Sec. 179 expensing expired on December 31, 2009. Without legislation, Code Sec. 179 expensing for 2010 is limited to $125,000, with a $500,000 cap (both adjusted for inflation). The HIRE Act extends enhanced Code Sec. 179 expensing, at the $250,000/$800,000 threshold levels, through December 31, 2010.

Unlike bonus depreciation, Code Sec. 179 expensing is available on both new and used property. Also unlike bonus depreciation, the $800,000 qualifying property ceiling for Code Sec. 179 property effectively limits expensing to small businesses. Finally, Code Sec. 179 is keyed to the business’s tax year rather than the 2010 calendar. The extension under the bill applies to purchases made in tax years beginning after December 31, 2009 and before January 1, 2011.

The HIRE Act does not extend bonus depreciation.