Service Dogs at Tax Time

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Tonight, I saw a puppy in class at Petsmart in her service dog vest (not one of ours) sniffing and playing with other dogs. This may not bother anybody. But it bothers me. I mentioned it to the trainer.

“It hasn’t come up yet,” she said. Of course it had – the minute that puppy walked into her class.

If your service dog is in her vest, she is working.

I know that puppies need to socialize with other puppies to mature into healthy adults. I know that service dogs are puppies. Socialize the heck out of them – let them be puppies. But don’t throw on the vest before it’s time, or claim your puppy is anything other than what he is – a puppy, that may or may not work out as a service dog, who is in training. I don’t care what your doctor says.

For many of us, that vest means something. It means: my dog is helping me; my dog is not here to cavort with other canines because he has to help me instead; I did not buy this vest over the Internet so I could take my dog on a plane, but because I need him and he needs me. (What a thrill for the dog by the way, to ride on a plane.) Think about it. Another example of our innate selfishness, and the great difference between dogs and people.

If your puppy is wearing his vest, his job is to be obedient – to sit, lie down, and stand when you want him to. To resist the urge to sniff other dogs because you might need him at precisely that moment. To lie by your side because that’s where he is supposed to be. To pick up your cane. To touch your hand on command. To help you stand. To ease your post-traumatic stress when you ask him to. To help you forget the war, if that’s where you need to be.

If you think we’re not heading towards legislation — precisely because you slapped an Internet-supplied vest on a puppy that can’t even sit yet — you’re part of the problem. And if you’re a puppy raiser, and allowing that puppy to play in his equipment, you need to speak to your sponsor. Right away.

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Many medical expenses are tax deductible. Any expense that involves prevention, diagnosis, or medical treatment of a physical or mental illness is deductible. Any expense that involves treatment for anything cosmetic is not. We’ve been asked several times if training for a service dog is tax deductible. The answer is: Yes! The IRS does allow you to include the costs of buying, training, and maintaining a service dog as a medical expense. Please view this on the IRS.gov website.

You are allowed to claim a medical tax deduction for all medical expenses that exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income (AGI) for the 2009 tax year. For example, if your AGI is over $40,000, then you would have to pay more than $3000 in medical expenses during the year to qualify. Also, you can only deduct the amount that is in excess of the 7.5%. So, using the previous example, if you had $4000 in medical expenses, you would be able to deduct $1000 from your taxes.

Of course, we do suggest that you consult with a tax professional and do not rely on us as your sole source of tax advice. If you are ever audited, you may be asked to provide proof that your animal is a service dog that qualifies under the ADA. If you train your own animal, the best way to do this is by keeping a record of your training either in some kind of a paper log or online web blog or a video tape of your service dog’s completion of the Minimum Training Standards for Service and Assistance Dogs and a Public Access Test like the one available at Assistance Dogs International.

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