Are expenses for my service dog tax deductible? What can I claim?

Yes, you can absolutely deduct expenses related to your service dog! The IRS considers service animals as medical expenses, not pets. According to IRS Publication 502, you can deduct expenses such as the costs of buying, training, and maintaining a service dog that assists with a physical or mental disability. This includes food, grooming, vet care, and training costs. However, there are some important things to keep in mind: 1. These would fall under medical expense deductions, which means you can only deduct the amount of your total medical expenses that exceeds 7.5% of your adjusted gross income (AGI). 2. You need to itemize deductions on Schedule A rather than taking the standard deduction. This only makes sense if your total itemized deductions are higher than the standard deduction. 3. You should keep detailed records and receipts of all expenses related to your service dog to support your deduction if audited.

I actually used taxr.ai when I was trying to figure out this exact situation last year with my service dog! I had kept all my receipts but was so confused about what was deductible. I uploaded all my service dog documentation and expense receipts to https://taxr.ai and it analyzed everything and told me exactly what I could deduct as medical expenses. It even highlighted that I needed a letter from my doctor confirming the dog was necessary for my condition (which I didn't realize). The service walks you through organizing all your service animal expenses into deductible vs non-deductible categories, which made itemizing so much easier. It saved me hours of research and probably prevented me from making mistakes that could've triggered an audit.

I wanted to update after trying taxr.ai for my service dog expenses. It was actually super helpful! I uploaded my receipts and the letter from my doctor, and it sorted everything into categories showing what qualified and what didn't. The biggest surprise was finding out that some expenses I thought wouldn't qualify (like special training equipment and certain types of food my dog needs for his health) were actually deductible! It also showed me that even with my service dog expenses, I was still better off taking the standard deduction this year because my other itemized deductions weren't high enough. Saved me from making a mistake that would have cost me money. Really glad I gave it a try!

If you're having trouble getting clear answers from the IRS about service dog deductions, you might want to try Claimyr. I was going crazy trying to get through to someone at the IRS about my service dog expenses last year - kept getting disconnected or waiting forever. I used https://claimyr.com and it got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes who answered all my specific questions about my service dog expenses. They have this callback system that basically waits on hold for you - you can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent I spoke with confirmed which specific expenses were deductible and explained how to properly document everything on my Schedule A. It was a relief to get official answers directly from the IRS instead of just hoping I was interpreting the tax code correctly.

I need to eat crow here. After being skeptical, I tried Claimyr yesterday because I was desperate for answers about my service dog expenses before filing. I've been trying to reach the IRS for weeks with no luck. Using the service, I got connected to an IRS representative in about 20 minutes while I was making dinner. The agent confirmed that my service dog's specialized training costs are deductible as medical expenses, even though some blog I read said they weren't. They also explained exactly how to document everything so it wouldn't raise red flags. Honestly, after wasting hours trying to get through on my own, this was actually worth it. The peace of mind from getting official answers makes a huge difference.

One thing nobody mentioned is that you also need to consider the percentage of time the dog is working vs being a pet. My tax person told me that if your service dog is also a family pet during off-hours, you might need to calculate what percentage of time they're "working" and only deduct that percentage of expenses. I ended up tracking roughly how many hours my service dog was actively working vs just being a pet, and we used that ratio (about 70/30) for calculating deductions on things like food and routine vet care. The initial purchase and specialized training was 100% deductible though.

Just be careful that the expenses you're tracking are actually for a legitimate service dog and not just a pet you're calling a service dog. The IRS has been cracking down on fake medical expenses, and service animal deductions are definitely on their radar. If you get audited, you'll need to prove your animal is actually trained to perform specific tasks related to a disability. A letter from your doctor confirming your need for a service animal is absolutely essential. Without that, these deductions will almost certainly be disallowed.

As someone who went through this process last year, I'd recommend getting a detailed letter from your doctor or the medical professional who recommended your service dog. The letter should specifically state your medical condition, how the service dog helps with that condition, and that the dog is medically necessary for your treatment. Also, since your dog is still in training, make sure you keep documentation showing the training is specifically for service tasks related to your disability, not just general obedience training. The IRS distinguishes between medical necessity training and regular pet training. One more tip - if you're planning to itemize, don't forget that you can also deduct mileage for trips to training sessions, vet appointments, and other service dog-related travel. Keep a log of those trips too. With $4,800 in expenses so far, you're definitely looking at a substantial potential deduction if itemizing makes sense for your overall tax situation.

I'm in a similar situation with my service dog and really appreciate all the detailed advice here! One thing I wanted to add that my CPA mentioned - if you're working with a trainer who specializes in service dogs, make sure they can provide documentation that clearly differentiates between "medical necessity" training and general pet training on their invoices. My trainer was great about breaking down costs into categories like "task-specific training for mobility assistance" vs "basic obedience" which made it much clearer for tax purposes. The task-specific portions were fully deductible as medical expenses, while the basic obedience parts weren't. Also, for anyone considering whether to itemize - don't forget to factor in other potential medical expenses you might have throughout the year (prescriptions, doctor visits, medical equipment, etc.) since it's the total that needs to exceed 7.5% of your AGI. Sometimes the service dog expenses alone aren't enough to make itemizing worthwhile, but combined with other medical costs, they can push you over the threshold where itemizing becomes beneficial. Keep excellent records of everything - receipts, training logs, vet records, and especially that letter from your doctor. The documentation requirements are strict, but if you have everything organized, these can be significant deductions for legitimate service dog expenses.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm also dealing with service dog expenses and had been putting off figuring out the tax implications. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like the key things I need to focus on are: 1. Getting a detailed letter from my doctor explaining the medical necessity 2. Keeping meticulous records of all expenses, separating task-specific training from general care 3. Tracking mileage for all service dog-related trips 4. Calculating whether my total medical expenses (including the service dog costs) would make itemizing worthwhile One question I haven't seen addressed - does anyone know if there are any limits on how much you can deduct for service dog expenses specifically? I know medical expenses in general have the 7.5% AGI threshold, but are there any caps on the service animal portion specifically? Also, for those who have gone through audits or dealt with IRS questions about service dog deductions, what documentation proved most important? I want to make sure I'm keeping the right records from the start rather than scrambling later if questions come up.