Do you have to pay tax for cats? A Belarusian woman shared about an unexpected police visit

A Belarusian woman published a video in which she recounted an unexpected visit from a police officer. According to her, it happened around eight in the evening, when the family was already preparing to go to bed.

"A police officer came to us yesterday, it was about eight in the evening, we were already getting ready for bed, and then a knock at the door. I wasn't expecting anyone, I open it – and there's a police officer. And he starts asking who lives here, year of birth, where do you work, don't you work, which kindergartens and schools do the children attend, and so on," the girl recounts in her video.

After he recorded all the information, an unexpected question was asked: "He asks: do you have any cats or dogs? I say — yes, I have a cat. And he: is it registered, do you pay tax?"

The woman admits she was shocked by what she heard: "I think: what? I'm hearing about this for the first time. I've heard that dogs need to be registered and taxed, but for cats — this is completely new to me."

She decided to clarify if he was indeed talking about cats: "I ask him: what, for cats too? He says: well, yes, of course. For now, for the first time, I'm just warning you — register the cat."

After the conversation, the Belarusian woman started looking for information: "I'm just in shock, I wonder where and how to do this. I started Googling — and, honestly, I didn't find any information that you need to pay tax for a cat. Either I don't understand something, or he misled me."

How people reacted to the situation in the comments

Belarusian users questioned the police officer's words, about whom the girl spoke.

• "My cat is about to give birth, where should I register to receive maternity benefits for 6-7 minors?"
• "I don't understand one thing, why do you have to pay for a cat and what is this tax for anyway?"
• "Should flies and mosquitoes that flew into the apartment also be registered?"
• "Then cats also need free medicine."
• "If I register two cats, I won't have enough space - I'll go stand in line for housing expansion."
• "What if my cat is visiting?"

What the law says

It should be noted that a dog tax came into effect in Belarus this year. At the same time, new legislative norms oblige owners to register all pets, including both dogs and cats, if they are kept in residential premises.

The amount of tax depends on the dog's breed: for those considered dangerous, it is higher than for ordinary ones. Moreover, separate exceptions are provided - for example, for guide dogs. In addition, there are tax benefits for owners who keep several dogs.

As for cats, no tax is established for them.

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