Dogs can be a hefty investment with all the time, effort, and expenses that go into caring for them. But for those who love their family pets, it’s worth it. Yet for one lawyer in New York, she feels like her 8-year-old golden retriever is a bit too much to pay for, and believes she deserves tax deductions for her. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but this particular pet owner is going above and beyond a simple post on social media: She’s suing the IRS.
You read right. A lawyer is taking the IRS to court over her dog not being eligible for tax deductions as a legal dependent. Her argument is that her dog lives in her home exclusively, doesn’t have an income, and requires expenses over $5K, which means the pet would be eligible to be a dependent, if it were a human. According to Forbes, the New York pet owner says that human dependents get a bunch of tax deductions and credits, so why shouldn’t her dog? She says it’s “unequal treatment,” especially since some service dogs qualify for benefits.
While there’s nothing wrong with complaining every now and then about the financial struggles of caring for a pet, taking legal action against the IRS under the demands for special treatment is wild. “This is ridiculous, and if it’s adopted is only going to encourage people to start puppy mills for the tax breaks,” remarks a Redditor. “Yes, me and my 500 guppies are here for our tax rebate,” jokes another.
Tax Deductions for Dependents Encourage Child Birth, not Pet Care for Tax Cuts
One commenter points out that one of the primary goals of child tax credits and dependent-related deductions is to encourage people to have more children, not just to give a reason for taxpayers not to be responsible. “If this goes through, we are actually so lost as a people,” they conclude.
On the flip side, one Reddit user plays devil’s advocate, saying that the government unreasonably gives billion-dollar corporations tax breaks. “At least someone with pets is adding back to the economy: buying pet food, pet supplies, vet visits, hiring dog walkers, kennels, etc.,” they argue. “Meanwhile corporations are happily cutting jobs with AI. So they get corporate welfare without giving anything to taxpayers in return, like steady jobs.”
To conclude, what the New York pet owner wants for her golden retriever is outrageous. But it’s a conversation starter about the large list of other corrupt things that go on in the economy when it comes to tax cuts.
