Can you really get a tax break for your pets?
Most of the time, the answer is no.
Your dog or cat is a family member in your eyes, but the IRS sees them as personal expenses. That means food, toys, vet visits, and grooming for household pets are not deductible.
But there are a few situations where animal-related costs do qualify.
If your pet plays a bigger role than companionship, you might be able to write off some of the expenses. Let’s look at the rules of the tax deduction for dogs and cats for 2025.
When Pet Expenses Are Deductible
Service animals
If you have a trained service animal, such as a guide dog for visual impairment or a dog that detects seizures, the IRS lets you deduct the costs as medical expenses. This can include training, food, grooming, veterinary care, and certain transportation that is primarily for and essential to medical care, for example, travel to obtain or train with the service animal when medically necessary. To claim it, you must itemize deductions, and your total unreimbursed medical expenses have to be more than 7.5% of your adjusted gross income.
Note: The IRS does not require a particular “certification.” The animal must be trained to perform tasks and be medically necessary, typically supported by a doctor’s note.
Working animals
Pets that are part of a business can also qualify. Think of a dog that guards a warehouse, a cat that controls pests at a farm, or an animal that helps manage livestock. In those cases, the costs of care may be deducted as ordinary and necessary business expenses. You will need strong documentation to show the animal is serving a real business purpose, and you should allocate expenses if there is any personal use.
Performance animals
If your pet earns income, such as starring in commercials, competing in shows, or working as a social media “influencer,” you can deduct expenses directly tied to that work only if the activity is a bona fide trade or business with a profit motive. If it is a hobby, expenses are not deductible for 2018 to 2025, even though the income is still taxable.
Foster care for pets
If you foster animals on behalf of a registered nonprofit, you can deduct unreimbursed expenses as charitable contributions if you itemize. Food, supplies, veterinary bills, and mileage to and from the shelter, at 14¢ per mile, may count, as long as the organization is a 501(c)(3). Keep receipts, and for any single contribution of $250 or more, obtain a written acknowledgment from the charity.
Military relocation
For active-duty military families who move because of permanent change of station, PCS, orders, the cost of transporting pets is deductible as part of moving expenses, for example, airfare or health certificates. Civilians generally cannot deduct moving expenses from 2018 to 2025. For qualifying military moves, the usual civilian distance and time tests do not apply.
What Still Doesn’t Count
You cannot claim your pets as dependents. Routine care for your family pets does not qualify. Emotional support animals also do not meet the IRS definition of a service animal unless they are trained to perform tasks and are medically necessary.
How to Make Sure You Qualify
The key is documentation. Keep every receipt related to your service, working, or foster animal. If your pet is a service animal, keep a doctor’s note and proof of training and medical-care-related travel.
If your pet is tied to a business, track the hours and tasks they perform and document the primary business purpose. If you foster, save emails or letters from the nonprofit confirming your volunteer status, along with receipts and mileage logs.
It is also important to look at whether itemizing makes sense. The standard deduction for 2025 is $15,000 for individuals, $30,000 for married couples filing jointly, and $22,500 for heads of household. Unless your total itemized deductions go above those numbers, you will not see a tax benefit for service animal or charitable foster expenses.
The Short Story? Not Likely a Tax Deduction
For most pet owners, pets will not create a tax deduction.
But for service animals, working animals, foster care situations, and qualifying military PCS moves, the IRS does allow certain costs to be deducted. The rules are narrow, but when you fall into one of these categories, the savings can be meaningful.
At MedTax, we help physicians and medical professionals find every tax break available.
If you are unsure whether your pet qualifies, or if you want help pulling together the right records, reach out to our team. You can use our Calendly here to schedule a quick chat.
We’re always here to help.
Until next time.
