You need to let your tax preparer know that you have an assistance animal. For some owners/handlers, the following expenses may be tax deductible as medical expenses:
- Purchasing an assistance animal
- Veterinary costs related to the assistance animal
- Food costs to feed the assistance animal
- The cost of any registration, gear such as vests, and educational courses
Every person’s tax situation and income level are unique; you will need to have the conversations with your tax preparer to see if your expenses qualify as a deduction. Not everyone will be able to take advantage of the tax benefits, but if you don’t ask, you’ll never know.
Here are some tips for you to take advantage of any tax benefits:
- Save all receipts in a folder you designate for costs related to your assistance animal.
- Track all costs for which you do not have a receipt.
- Keep a record of how your assistance animal has assisted you in that tax year.
Make sure to keep all records or documents.
Are you an owner of an assistance animal?
The Service Animal Registry of California invites you to have your assistance animal registered in order to designate its status. We also encourage you to take our online classes so you can be fully aware of your rights and gain more knowledge about your support animal.
Finally, we present to you our book entitled, “ASSISTANCE ANIMAL LAWS: LEARN YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING SERVICE ANIMALS, EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS, THERAPY PETS, AND OTHER DOGS, CATS, AND ASSISTANCE ANIMALS” to provide you with a complete education on assistance animals.
Purchase your copy of the book by clicking the text or image below.
