THE SCIENCE BEHIND WHY DOGS AND HUMANS CAN’T RESIST LEAF PILES
Whether it’s your boisterous toddler or rowdy pup, a perfect pile of autumn leaves might be too good to resist! You probably remember the days when you also jumped into a crunchy orange leaf pile without a second thought. But why do humans and dogs love jumping into huge piles of leaves? The main (and most obvious answer) is because it’s fun! For kids, dogs, and even some adults, jumping and rolling around in the fall leaves is a satisfying form of play that releases energy. While this may be the simple reason for humans, there are a few more reasons your canine companion can’t resist a tower of leaves. Instinct to Dig Digging is a dog’s favorite pastime that dates back to their wolf ancestors. Just as natural as sniffing and barking, digging is an ingrained behavior for dogs, and they
want to follow their instincts the moment they see a leaf pile. Whether they’re digging in to rest in the cool leaves or demolishing the pile entirely, your dog is just doing what dogs have always done. Irresistible Seasonal Scents Our sense of smell doesn’t even come close to dogs’ incredible scent skills.
While we have 5 million scent receptors, dogs have anywhere between 125–300 million! This means they can smell countless other scents we can’t, and autumn may bring some exciting aromas your dog hasn’t experienced in a while. The result? They’ll dive right into a leaf pile and get sniffing! Marking Territory Another scent factor could be your dog wanting to claim a particular leaf pile. We already know dogs use their scents to mark territory, and rolling in a beloved pile of leaves is a way to infuse their scent. After diving head first into some leaves, they leave their scent behind so other animals can smell them and know that the leaf pile has already been claimed! Whatever the case, jumping into a pile of leaves is completely normal — and fun! — for both humans and dogs.
GIFTING FOR 2023 Strategies to Make the Most of It
About this time of the year, we get a lot of questions about annual gifting (gift tax exclusion) and what is allowed by the IRS. The gift tax exclusion amount allowed for 2023 is $17,000 per person. The gift tax annual exclusion just means the amount you can give to a single person in a year without having to report the gift on a gift tax return.
What if those grandkids are minors? You cannot just give a 5-year- old or a 12-year-old $17,000. Instead, you can put the funds into a 529 educational account for the benefit of the minor or a Uniform Gift to Minors Account (UGMA) or even set up a trust to hold the funds. For 529 accounts, there are special rules for gifting. Basically, if you are funding a 529, you can give five years’ worth of gifts in just one year with no gift tax repercussions. This is known as “front-loading” gifts. So, if you have a new grandchild, you can start their 529 account with $85,000 with no gift tax repercussions. However, you cannot put more in for five years. The advantage to the “front-loading” of the gift is simply allowing those funds to be invested for longer and go faster with compounding interest. If you have questions about the gift tax annual exclusion, please feel free to reach out to us. If you have questions regarding investments, such as 529 accounts, or need to consider gifting as part of your tax plan, reach out to your financial advisor or CPA.
Practically, what does that mean? Well, for example, if you are a married couple and you want to give each of your two children and your five grandchildren the full amount allowed, both you and your spouse could give $119,000 each (or a total of $238,000 as a married couple)
because you can each give your kids and grandkids the entire $17,000. If you multiply $17,000 by 7, that is $119,000. This is incredibly important for those who want to gift the money to assist a family
member or watch them enjoy the money while they are still alive and, most importantly, for those concerned about the future of the estate tax.
–Chasity
2 • www.strattonreynolds.com
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