Do I need standard or itemized deduction for a fence built around my house for my service dog?

This is actually a great question about medical expense deductions! Service dogs are considered medical expenses by the IRS, and reasonable costs associated with their care and maintenance can qualify as well. The fence would likely qualify as a medical expense since it was specifically built for your service dog's needs. However, there are two important thresholds to consider: 1) Medical expenses are only deductible if you itemize, and 2) You can only deduct the portion of medical expenses that exceeds 7.5% of your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI). So if your AGI is $60,000, you'd only be able to deduct medical expenses above $4,500 (7.5% of $60,000). In your case, that would mean potentially deducting $2,800 of the fence cost ($7,300 - $4,500). You should compare your total itemized deductions (including this medical expense, plus any mortgage interest, state/local taxes up to $10,000, and charitable contributions) against your standard deduction. Only itemize if the total exceeds $13,850.

I went through something similar last year with medical expenses for my disability equipment. I was so confused and frustrated until I found taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) - it's this AI tool that explains tax stuff in normal human language. I uploaded my medical receipts and it told me exactly what qualified as medical deductions and calculated whether I should itemize or take standard. For my service animal expenses, it explained which ones counted as medical and which didn't. The fence might qualify as a capital improvement for medical purposes, but it depends on your specific situation. The tool walks you through the 7.5% AGI threshold calculation too so you don't have to figure it out yourself.

Just wanted to update y'all! I checked out taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here and I'm actually shocked at how helpful it was. I uploaded my fence receipt and some documentation about my service dog, and it immediately identified it as a potentially qualifying medical expense. The site walked me through calculating my AGI threshold and comparing my potential itemized deductions against the standard. Turns out I have enough other expenses (property taxes and some charitable donations) that when combined with the portion of the fence that qualifies, I should definitely itemize this year. Would have left money on the table if I hadn't checked! Really grateful for the suggestion.

If you're struggling with this deduction question, you might need to talk directly to the IRS for a definitive answer. I tried calling them for weeks about my service animal deduction last year - busy signals and hour-long waits every time. Super frustrating until I found Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). It's this service that somehow gets the IRS to call YOU back instead of waiting on hold forever. I watched their demo video (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) and was skeptical but desperate. Got a call back from an actual IRS agent in about 27 minutes who confirmed my service dog's fence was deductible as a medical expense as long as I had proper documentation. Saved me hours of hold music and got me a definitive answer from the source. Huge relief when you're dealing with potentially questionable deductions.

I need to eat crow here. After my skeptical comment earlier, I decided to try Claimyr for myself because I've been trying to reach the IRS for THREE WEEKS about a similar medical deduction question for my mom's service dog expenses. Holy crap, it actually worked. I got a callback in about 35 minutes from a real IRS agent who answered my specific questions about service animal housing modifications. The agent confirmed that fencing can qualify as a medical expense if it's specifically for the service animal's needs and if you have documentation from a healthcare provider. Saved me from taking a questionable deduction that might have triggered an audit. Cannot believe I wasted so many hours on hold before this.

Don't forget to also check with your state tax laws! Federal lets you deduct medical expenses above 7.5% of AGI when itemizing, but some states have different thresholds or special provisions for disabled persons or service animals. I live in Minnesota and they have additional deductions for disability-related expenses that the federal return doesn't have. Might be worth looking into depending on your state!

I'm just curious - what breed is your service dog? We're planning to get a mobility service dog next year for my husband and trying to figure out what kinds of home modifications we'll need to budget for.

This thread has been super helpful! I'm in a similar situation with my service dog for PTSD. I built a ramp and modified my back door last year for accessibility, plus ongoing costs for training maintenance sessions. One thing I learned from my tax preparer is to keep VERY detailed records of everything - receipts, photos of the modifications, letters from your doctor explaining why each expense was medically necessary. The IRS can be pretty strict about what qualifies as "reasonable and necessary" for service animal care. Also, don't forget about the ongoing expenses like specialized food, vet bills, and even grooming if it's related to the dog's working ability. These smaller expenses can add up and might help you reach that 7.5% AGI threshold for medical deductions. Keep track of everything throughout the year - it's much easier than trying to reconstruct it all at tax time!