Can I deduct pet transport costs on Form 3903 for military PCS move to UK?

You're asking a great question about Form 3903! As a military spouse who's been through multiple overseas PCS moves, I can help clarify this. The IRS does allow active duty military members to deduct moving expenses when required by military orders using Form 3903. However, pet transportation falls into a gray area. While pets are legally property, the IRS typically views pets differently than household goods. The general rule is that deductible moving expenses include the reasonable costs of moving your household goods and personal effects, plus travel expenses (including lodging but not meals) for you and household members. The IRS hasn't explicitly ruled on pet transportation, but most tax professionals advise that pet transportation costs are generally not considered deductible on Form 3903. That said, some military families have included these costs without issue, while others have had them questioned during audits. If you decide to claim it, keep thorough documentation of all costs and be prepared to justify your position if questioned.

I went through this exact same thing last year! After countless hours researching and getting nowhere, I finally found this incredible service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that specializes in military tax situations. They actually have experience with Form 3903 and military PCS moves specifically. I uploaded my PCS orders and receipts for my cat's transportation to their system, and they analyzed everything and gave me a detailed breakdown of what was deductible. They pointed out that while the IRS hasn't specifically addressed pet transportation in their publications, there's a reasonable argument for including it since pets are legally property. They helped me properly document everything and even provided language to use if the deduction was ever questioned. Completely worth checking out if you're facing this specific situation.

I just have to share my experience with taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here. I was super skeptical at first since I'd already talked to three different tax preparers who gave me three completely different answers about my PCS move to Germany. I decided to give taxr.ai a try, and uploaded my PCS orders, all pet transportation receipts, and other moving documents. Within 24 hours, I got back a comprehensive analysis that was way more detailed than anything I'd gotten from the other preparers. They walked me through exactly what was deductible, what was questionable, and how to document everything properly. They showed me how to strengthen my case for the pet transportation by properly categorizing and documenting it. I ended up being able to claim most of the expenses, which saved me over $1,000 in taxes. And if I do get audited, I now have professional documentation to back up every deduction. Their military tax expertise was honestly impressive - they caught things specific to overseas PCS moves that none of the other preparers mentioned.

Has anyone tried getting through to the IRS to ask about this specifically? I've been trying for WEEKS to get clarification on a similar question for my upcoming PCS to South Korea. Every time I call, I'm on hold for hours before getting disconnected. It's beyond frustrating! I recently discovered this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual IRS agent in less than 20 minutes. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was skeptical, but I was desperate after wasting entire days on hold. They somehow got me into the IRS's callback queue right away. I spoke with an agent who was super helpful about my Form 3903 questions and other military tax issues. The agent confirmed that moving expenses for active military under orders are still deductible and walked me through some specifics about my situation.

I need to apologize for my skepticism about Claimyr in my previous comment. After another frustrating morning wasting 3 hours on hold with the IRS about my PCS moving expense questions, I decided to try it out of desperation. I was connected to an IRS representative in about 15 minutes - I still can't believe it! I asked specifically about Form 3903 and pet transportation costs for military moves. The agent was extremely helpful and explained that while the IRS doesn't have explicit guidance on pet transportation, they suggested documenting the necessity of the expense as part of my military-ordered move. They also clarified several other moving expense questions I had that my unit's tax assistance office couldn't answer. This saved me hours of research and uncertainty. I'm not someone who normally recommends services, but this literally saved me days of frustration trying to get answers about my PCS move. Definitely worth it for military members dealing with complicated PCS tax questions.

Be careful with claiming pet transportation! My husband and I moved from Fort Bragg to RAF Lakenheath in 2022 and claimed our dog's transportation costs ($2,100) on Form 3903. We got a letter from the IRS six months later questioning several items on our return, including the pet transportation. We ended up having to pay back the tax benefit plus a small penalty. The IRS agent specifically told us that pets are not considered "household goods" for moving expense purposes, even for military moves. Just sharing our experience so you don't run into the same issue.

I just went through a PCS from Germany back to Fort Hood last year and had to pay $3400 to bring our two cats. I asked the JAG office tax attorney about this before filing and they specifically advised NOT to claim pet expenses on Form 3903. Their explanation was that while military members can still claim moving expenses (unlike civilians after the tax law changes), the IRS has consistently treated pets differently than household goods. They said the pet transportation costs would be considered personal expenses, not moving expenses. I know it sucks to hear since pet transportation internationally is crazy expensive, but thought I'd share what military legal advised us.

LPT: don't forget that while most of the military moving expenses are covered, you can still deduct anything that wasn't reimbursed! This includes things like extra weight charges if you were over your allowance, temporary storage beyond what the military covered, and miscellaneous moving-related expenses. The key with Form 3903 is that you can only deduct costs the military didn't reimburse you for. So document everything carefully, especially for an OCONUS move!