Can I claim my pet as a dependent?
Pets are a lot like children. Look at their similarities: they’re cute, loving, playful, attention-craving, and they can’t wait for you to get home. They also poop, pee, whine, ignore your commands, and break stuff. (Hey, it’s not all lovey-dovey.)
Like children, pets rely upon you to support them, which can get expensive — especially if you buy your supplies at that big-box PetStore. Add to that veterinary bills, grooming, licenses, cleanup and repairs caused by pet damage, not to mention the cost of the pet itself… ouch.
According to the American Pet Products Manufacturers’ Association, Americans are expected to spend more than $10.5 billion on their pets in 2008. (That’s billion with a B, as in "B-1 Bomber").
So in light of that grim statistic (at least for those who don’t own PetStore stock), it doesn’t seem that silly for tax-paying pet owners to wonder: "Am I allowed to claim my pet as a dependent on my tax return? Can I get some compensation for my contribution to the $10.5 billion? Puleeeze?"
Um, no. You’re more than welcome to try — people have — but if caught you better have plans for someone else to take care of your beloved pet(s) while you are on the sort of "vacation" made famous by Al Capone.
Although the IRS doesn’t specifically spell it out, it is tacitly implied that dependents — at least for taxation purposes — must be human.
Now before you argue that your dog thinks he’s human or that your parakeet acts more like a human than your 2-year-old (I believe you! I believe you!), hear me out.
The rationale behind this "must-be-an-actual-human" requirement is that children of the species Homo sapiens have the potential to grow into adult taxpaying Homo sapiens, whereas dogs, cats, birds, gerbils, fish, rocks, etc., do not. It’s as though the IRS is sowing the seeds — or at least providing the fertilizer — for growing the next crop of taxpayers.
Here’s another way to look at it. Pets do not pay taxes, so why should the government provide tax incentives to the owners of these adorable freeloaders? Ahhhh, now do you see? Makes sense, huh?
Next week, I’ll tell you how to distinguish between human dependents and animal dependents.
Have product questions? We have your answers.
They certainly have not trouble asking 300 dollars for a deposit, a 150 non refundable fee and 20 dollars a month pet rent in apartment buildings. Add to that the 60 dollar a month health insurance bill, unless they intend for me to put a dog down every time he gets sick and the 165 dollars a year just for his annual check up. And that is before food, pee pads, leashes, treats, toys, training lessons. For someone in their age 50′s childless and living alone, a dog is an emotional necessity. They let people breed with utter disregard to their income. Apartments don’t even charge child rent. They expect my dog to go out and get a job to pay his share? It is a real expense and for some people a real necessity and for everyone a real responsibility. If dogs were claimed as dependents I bet we would see a lot fewer of them on the streets, in rescue and dying in KILL facilities. Maybe it is time to stop being fascist nazis toward our pets.
i bet if my dog was making thousands of dollars a year advertizing and commercials that the government would take their share .sighned Porsha the dog itself.
Worth asking and I do appriciate the answer. Hey, that’s not a real photo of me, I have a nose and it’s a honker!
Brilliant article, brilliant.
Okay… Yes, Kids don’t CURRENTLY pay taxes, but they have the “potential to grow into adult taxpaying” people… you can not claim that of pets. They remain dependent until they die. I love my pets, and they are an importent part of our family… however, they aren’t people. What’s next, claiming house plants?
I wonder what argument you would make for people on disability? Furthermore, parents don’t have to pay “kid rent” to land lords. They don’t have to put down a 300 dollar deposit with a 150 dollar non-refundable fee added to the insult of 20 dollars a month.
Kids dont pay taxes either but you do pay taxes for all of ther things, food, and housing.
If (ALL)the hard working tax payers in this country would pertition congress,maybe some changes would be made.After all the money is money that we have sweat and bled for.And our pets are our constitutional right to our persuit of happiness.