Woman sues IRS arguing her dog should be treated as her child for tax purposes

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A lawyer in New York is suing the IRS, claiming her dog should be considered a legal dependent, just like a human family member, and therefore qualify for tax benefits.

Amanda Reynolds is suing the IRS, arguing her golden retriever, Finnegan, should be considered a dependent. She claims Finnegan meets all the necessary requirements according to current tax rules.

In court documents, Reynolds explains that Finnegan completely depends on her for everything – food, a place to live, vet care, training, transportation, and daily care. The lawsuit also notes that Finnegan doesn’t earn any money on her own, lives solely with Reynolds, and costs more than $5,000 each year to care for.

According to the IRS, pets are currently considered property, not family members you support. However, Reynolds believes this is outdated, especially considering many pet owners fully cover their animals’ expenses and care for them as they would a child.

Dogs don’t count on taxes

Look, Finnegan is basically like my kid, and I totally support her. I know the lawsuit sounds a little weird, but it’s a legitimate claim – I’m not just making this up. It’s not some frivolous thing, I really consider her a dependent.

The document also points out that denying tax benefits to pet owners is unfair, particularly since service dogs already receive some tax advantages. It argues that all pets should be considered similarly to service animals for tax purposes.

Listing someone as a dependent on your taxes can qualify you for credits like the Child Tax Credit, the Credit for Other Dependents, and the Earned Income Tax Credit. However, according to Forbes, current laws don’t allow pet owners to claim these benefits for their animals.

This lawsuit probably won’t go very far. The judge has temporarily halted the process of gathering evidence because the IRS plans to ask the court to dismiss the case.

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2025-12-16 23:19