As Benjamin Franklin’s famously noted, nothing in life is guaranteed except for death and taxes. While this is largely true, there is an IRS classification that allows certain cemetery businesses exemption from taxes. 501(c)(13) status is available to nonprofit mutual cemetery companies and nonprofit incorporated cemetery companies. The Internal...
In 2017, the National Funeral Directors Association reported that the median cost of a funeral was $7,360 for viewing and burial with no vault, $8,755 for viewing and burial with vault, and $6,260 for viewing and cremation. These figured don’t take cemetery, monument, or market costs into account, nor...
Perpetual care funds are monies placed in trust by cemeteries to generate income to cover cemetery maintenance in perpetuity. The funds are derived from sales of grave sites, above-ground crypts, and niches in mausoleums and columbariums. Cemeteries usually add 5-15% to the price charged for these items for perpetual...
Most everyone knows that daily living can impact the environment in countless ways. Now, more and more people are realizing that death care can, too. Accordingly, a study performed by the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) revealed that 54 percent of all Americans are now considering a green burial....
After the addition of three amendments, passing through the Senate and almost making it through the House, Senator Tom McGarrigle’s Senate Bill 874 was removed from the table in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in mid April 2016. This doesn’t, by any means, mean the bill will not resurface,...
Earlier this year two of the largest publicly owned death care companies in North America merged, creating further consolidation in an industry that was once dominated by smaller family owned businesses. Consolidation within an industry can raise concerns for smaller entities. Larger companies have the ability to centralize many...
English
Arabic
Chinese (Simplified)
Dutch
French
German
Italian
Portuguese
Romanian
Russian
Spanish