☰
✕
Sign In

Why sign in to the Community?

  • Submit a question
  • Check your notifications
Sign in to the Community or Sign in to TurboTax and start working on your taxes
New Member
posted Jan 22, 2025 4:34:26 PM

Can I write off my cats?

My husband is a sole proprietor flooring contractor. We live in the country, lots of pesky critters. We store carpet & padding in our barn and have several cats- no rodents anywhere. Can I write off the cats for rodent control, to keep the inventory safe from damage?

 

Also the dogs keep the racoons out of the yard and guard the tools from theft. Can I write them off?

0 1 182
1 Replies
Expert Alumni
Jan 22, 2025 4:48:47 PM

No.  Barn cats and dogs that keep mice and racoons away are not tax deductible.  They would be considered normal pets.

In order to claim expenses for a dog as a guard dog, they would have to be specially trained and certified as a guard dog. If your dog is specifically trained as a guard dog you would be able to claim the expenses of the training and costs directly related to protecting the inventory.