Can I write off my cats?

[jayciemomma]

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?

[Vanessa A]

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.