Do you have a service or support animal? If you do, you may be able to claim some expenses related to the care of that animal on your tax return. But here’s the catch: you have to be able to prove that, in the words of the IRS, the animal is used “primarily for medical care to alleviate a mental defect or illness.”
So how do you do that? Let’s dive in.
Proving your pet is a support animal
The IRS has specific guidelines for classifying service animals, but each claim is approved on a case-by-case basis. That means your animal doesn’t necessarily have to check every single box—they probably just have to meet one or two requirements.
- Motive
If your clear motive in purchasing an animal was to alleviate a physical or mental need, you may not have to go any farther in “proving” that to the IRS. They may simply evaluate your case and agree with you.
- Physician recommendation
A doctor’s note will get you far. If your therapist recommended you get a dog for anxiety, and you have that recommendation in writing, you’re probably good to go.
- Historical link between your condition and service animals
If many people with your condition have used pets to help with treatment, or if published studies have found that pets help treat your condition, you may want to pull some of that up as evidence.
- Clear success in treating your condition
Has your health clearly improved since getting a pet? If so, you’d better hope you have some records to prove that. Even your personal journal or your therapist’s written record of your treatment can help.
- Timeline
If you got a service animal right after a serious injury, that’s pretty clear evidence that you bought that pet to help with your recovery. Similarly, if you developed or were diagnosed with a chronic condition or mental health disorder, and the records show that you purchased a pet shortly thereafter, that may aid your case.
So what can I write off?
If your pet qualifies as a service or support animal, you can write off just about every pet-related expense, including:
- The cost of purchasing your pet
- Vet bills
- Food
- Grooming
- Pet training
- Boarding
To itemize or not to itemize?
Here’s one last thing to know: if you want to deduct the costs of having a service animal, you’ll need to itemize your deductions—which means you won’t be able to take the standard deduction.
If you’re going to itemize medical expenses, they have to be greater than 7.5% of your AGI (Adjusted Gross Income). That’s your total income minus adjustments like student loan interest or contributions to an IRA.
In some cases, it may make more financial sense for you to just take the standard deduction. If you do decide to itemize, you can list your service pet under medical expenses on Schedule A of Form 1040.