I couldn’t resist posting about these interesting articles I’ve been reading on the internet about a new tax hike that has been proposed in Russia:
“Церковь предлагает ввести налог на бездетность в России”
“The church proposes instating a tax for childlessness in Russia”
The goal of this is not necessarily to increase Russia’s waning population but is a way to
“поддержать усыновителей” (support adopters).
The priest reasons that “если люди не хотят идти на подвиг рождения детей, или попросту не могут, значит они должны поучаствовать хотя бы небольшими деньгами в общем деле”
“If people don’t want to have to undertake having children, or simply cannot, then it means that they should participate at least with a little money in the shared social issue.”
This is in response to the new law that was passed forbidding Americans to adopt Russian orphans. Russians are under the impression that the American government pays them to adopt and that it is some how a profitable business for American parents. When in actuality it’s just a tax credit given for up to $10,000 reimbursement of any money that the family might have spent in the process. These families then get a $1000 tax credit on their tax return once the child is officially in their family, the same amount you would get if you had a baby of your own. If it were a process that was cheap, trust me, I would have done it already.
My sister adopted two children from Africa. She spent about $40,000 to do so and was reimbursed only for about half of that. But I’m off topic. The point is that in Russia they’re trying to create similar incentives for families to adopt Russian orphans.
“По словам священника, на вырученные средства можно было бы поддержать семьи, желающие усыновить детей-сирот. По его мнению, если бы русские приемные семьи финансово поддерживало государство так же, как в Америке, никаких американцев было бы не нужно для русских детей.”
“According to the priest, the revenue raised could be used to support families who wish to adopt orphans. In his opinion, if the government supported Russian adoptive families like they do in America then Americans wouldn’t be needed for Russian children.”
As a person who has known and/or worked with a lot of these kids that get adopted from Russia I sure hope something gets done to give those kids a chance. I don’t care if they get an American or a Russian family, I just hope they get one.