When I gathered all my 2009 receipts in preparation for my Income Tax filing, I came across a large number of expenses incurred for my pets. Are these expenses tax-deductible?
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1Only if you claim them as dependents. =) – JohnFx♦ Mar 19 '10 at 14:09
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Well they don't exactly contribute to the household... ;-) – Nat_Rea Mar 20 '10 at 2:40
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Sure they do! Dogs and cats contribute to the security of house and home (when they want to). :-) – Zephyr Mar 20 '10 at 14:23
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No.
Medical bills for yourself or your human companions may be: Canada Revenue
Seeing-eye dogs and the like also get special treatment Nice Doggie
There are pet medical insurance policies; but as they are often priced like human policies, they might exclude your animal if it has a pre-existing condition.
Good Luck Scott
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I would expect that if the animal in question was part of your business (such as a farm animal, or a security dog) then you could probably claim vet bills as a business expense. – DJClayworth Mar 11 '11 at 19:37
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In the US service animals are treated like durable medical equipment from a tax POV, and some expenses can be deducted. Likewise, expenses associated with working animals are business or hobby expenses than can be deducted to a certain extent.
But pets, no. Legally they are "chattels" -- property that can move. Generally speaking, you can't deduct the cost of maintaining your belongings.
