Some Legitimate Dog-Related Tax Deductions You Can Actually Take!
I am not a tax expert... just a dog lover at heart.
But, I found some interesting tax write-offs that some dog owners might be able to take!
What follows are actual tax deductions, as quoted by people "in the know" who share their take on tax write-offs as they relate to dogs.
Be sure to talk to your tax preparer regarding these or any new tax deductions and write-offs that might apply to you and your dog(s).
For starters, consider these...
#1 Moving The Family Pet As A Tax Deduction
If you are changing jobs and meet a couple of tests, you can deduct your moving expenses -- including the cost of moving your dog, cat or other pet from your old residence to your new home. Your pet -- be it a Pekingese or a python -- is treated the same as your other personal effects.
Source
#2 Guard Dogs As Tax Write-Offs
- Expert Opinion: Ennico points out how to use it: "You'll only be able to deduct that portion of his or her total time devoted to 'guard-dog' duty."
- How to Do It Right: Though it may seem rather obvious, your dog most also be guarding your inventory. Another interesting tidbit: Though you can deduct expenses relating to the dog, you can't deduct the dog itself. But you can depreciate it over its expected lifespan as determined by a local breeder. Who would've thought?
#3 Tax Deductions For Animal Adoption Fees & Donations
Some adopters may wonder whether the "adoption fee" or "adoption donation" made to a Rescue which has 501c non-profit status can be claimed as a deductible charitable donation on the adopter's income tax return. The short answer is that an adoption fee or donation made to adopt a dog is almost certainly NOT deductible, but any additional donation made over and above the standard fee almost certainly IS deductible. Source (more here)
#4 Pet Food Write-Offs... Under Certain Circumstances
A couple who owned a junkyard were allowed to write off the cost of cat food they set out to attract wild cats. The feral felines did more than just eat. They also took care of snakes and rats on the property, making the place safer for customers. When the case reached the Tax Court, IRS lawyers conceded that the cost was deductible. Source
#5 Seeing-Eye Dog Tax Deductions
You can include the cost of a guide dog, or animal, to be used by a vision-impaired or hearing-impaired person. You can also include the cost of care for these trained animals. Source
#6 Tax Deductions For Canine Sport Leaders
Think: show dog presenters, trial judges, dog agility trainers, among others.A proposed income tax deduction must meet three tests: 1) Is it documented? 2) Is it business related? 3) Is it reasonable?
Source
Check out this proposal for a new tax deduction: A Pet Owners Deduction
A Word Of Warning For Entrepreneurs...
If you're taking the "home office deduction", be sure to carefully measure the portion of your office that you use solely for office work.
Tax tip from Quicken:
If you have a desk located in a family room, for example, mixing your business correspondence with your personal mail could cause the deduction to be disallowed. The IRS takes this point very seriously. They once disallowed a home office deduction because they saw a dog's bowl under the desk in a picture brought in by the taxpayer.
And be sure to talk to your tax preparer first. Otherwise, you might end up on a list of Funny Dog Deduction Stories next year!
I regularly take in foster bassets for a basset rescue, keeping them in my home until they are adopted. Can I take any home expenses off my taxes? For instance, my back bathroom is for bathing dogs only. I keep my thermostat higher during the winter for aging dogs that shiver. They won't tolerate a commercial coat. I also need to keep the air conditioner on in the summer, especially when the temperature is over 90 degrees. I frequently wash dog beds, clean up rags, etc....
This is a dumb question but can you claim your dog on your taxes?? I adopted my dog from a local Animal Shelter.
My dog Penny is a licensed Therapy Dog. Is anything tax deductible?
We have 13 dogs and 6 cats, all rescued, is there anything that could help us on the food cost? or anything else?
Interesting- I have an acreage and the dogs do a great job at keeping varmints (raccoons, etc) away- Suppose that would qualify? It's probably stretching it!
My wife and I have been running a "quasi" cat rescue for several years. The cats who come to us are usually injured/abandoned and are from our town. Currently, we have about 15 cats who live in a small separate house on the property. Over the past Spayed/neutered over 50 cats over the past eight years, and have spent a ton of money on this--as well as food, vet, etc.
I really want to start an animal shelter, but I am not really interested in soliciting donations. I basically have two questions:
1. Is there a way to start up my organization without a 501c3?
2. If not, I would assume that non-profit org. are able to write off their own expenses, correct?
PLEASE RESPOND!!!!
If you own pure breed registered dogs are the considered tax write offs.
If the cat rescue is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, then you can write off your on-going donations. You can't write off the initial adoption fee or your expenses for the cats' vet care.
i also have dog in truck. Can it be claimed as a guard dog. It alerts me when someone is near our truck and/or knocks on truck
Can I claim the expense for the renewal of my dogs licenses as a tax writeoff?
you don't have anything listed for adopting a cat.
Are there any deductions...I've paid over $2000.00 in medical bills for my adopted cat. I also make a $20.00 donation monthly to the animal shelter...
The only thing is that I live in Pa. and the Shelter is in W.V. the lady from the shelter would bring her cats up to PetCo in Pgh. Pa. that's where I adopted my cat.
Is anything deductable that you know of????
Please respond.
Thank you.
I drive a semi truck and i keep a germen rottweiler in the truck.I must sleep in some bad places some times and i fill safe and sleep sounder with my rottweiler there. how much of my dog expenses can i write off. in truck 340 days a year or more.
OK, this is a stupid question, but my daughter-in-law owns a pychic business in town that is advertised in the yellow pages and has a dog that she claims is her "spiritual facilitator". Can she claim the dog as a legit tax deduction including it's vet bills, etc.? Hey, my son married her, so I've got to live with asking stuff like this!