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Tradesmen Can Now Use Their Dogs To Put The Bite On The Taxman


kenDOL
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I think it's been going on longer than that as I have about 12 clients who all claim their grooming as the dog 'guards their tools, guards their workshop' etc.

* Dogs can be claimed as tax deduction

* ATO confirms new rule will take effect

* Move has been welcomed by tradesmen

MAN'S best friend could save you big bickies, with the tax office confirming many Australians can claim their dogs as a legitimate deduction.

Expenses - including vet and pet food bills - qualified as a tax deduction if your hound helped with work or was connected to any type of income generation, the Australian Tax Office said.

Dogs used on farms and to round up sheep qualified, and even tradesmen's pets who guarded tools in utes were eligible.

An ATO spokesman said there were no specific rules on which pets qualified for tax breaks.

But deductions could be claimed "provided you can show that your pet is used in the course of income production, for instance as workhorses, guard or guide dogs, or sheep herders".

"Each case is taken on its merits, but the cost of maintaining and feeding those animals can form a legitimate part of tax claims," the spokesman said.

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Related Coverage

* New target: Unexplained wealth

* Dogs not a tax dodge Adelaide Now, 8 hours ago

* Tradies use dogs to put bite on taxman Daily Telegraph, 9 hours ago

* New 'too low' tax break could cost you Adelaide Now, 16 May 2010

* Obese pets on fitness trail Courier Mail, 24 Apr 2010

* Pets are a natural remedy The Australian, 22 Jan 2010

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Sydney bricklayer Jordan Rockett or Narabeen didn't know his two American staffordshire bull terriers could be claimed as a legitimate tax deduction.

Mr Rockett spends $30 to $40 a week on food for his dogs, Nala and Indie, as well as $500 a year on vet bills.

"It's a great thing to know with tax time coming up," he said.

"I know people take dogs to work to guard their tools so it makes sense."

Victorian plumber Trevor Rowe was also unaware of the doggy tax break.

The Box Hill South resident said he would happily bring Hungarian vizsla Millie and German short-haired pointer Gus to work if it meant he could claim their expenses.

"It would save me a truckload of cash," Mr Rowe said.

"They're great watchdogs.

"Every house you go to that's being built, someone has a dog with them. And I'm guessing there will be a lot more dogs on sites if you can claim them."

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Dory attends our clinics Puppy Preschool as a demonstrator dog, or as a dog to play with those puppies that are very shy or very boisterous...does this mean I can claim her?

Mind you she costs me very little...food...rego...

I get worming, flea treatment and vaccination at next to nothing anyways.

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Stealing or rorting the system is nothing to be proud of. It is a legitimate expense though - when our house was being built the tradesmen's utes and vans had to be out of sight of the building site. The carpenter had a good watch-Kelpie who let them know when anyone approached the vehicles. She would have saved them all quite a bit in small pilfered items and larger theft. And just by "being there". There was no need for a larger or more traditionally guard-dog breed type. Just a presence and a voice that was only used when there was something fishy to call out about, not yapping at passing pedestrians or making innocent pedestrians feel threatened or uncomfortable. And a reasonable tax claim because it was genuine, not just the family pet having a day out.

Our Tax-person said years ago that our home business should claim the expenses for one dog. We don't, but if a home business puts in a tax return and has value items to protect, it has always been possible to claim costs for a guard dog at home premises.

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Our Tax-person said years ago that our home business should claim the expenses for one dog. We don't, but if a home business puts in a tax return and has value items to protect, it has always been possible to claim costs for a guard dog at home premises.

The Tax Office might get some interesting cases, especially if photos have to be submitted as evidence. :vomit: Builder friend has work tools & vehicles on his property. He says he has a 'brilliant' canine guarding team. Their pet tibbie & pet dobe. The tibbie is a great alert dog....always picks up any suspicious sounds/movements. Only time it barks. Then the dobe ambles out to take a look. Dobe is really a sweetie, but thieves don't know that.

Maybe insurance companies could offer some reduced rates for home insurance, for those with alert pet dogs. Our small dogs have seen off a burglar & also a car thief, who left empty-handed. :):) We didn't know those blokes were on the premises. But the tibs did...they even chased the burglar. Police dogs, eat your hearts out. :p

Then there was the burglar in the next suburb who spent ages removing a door into a house. Door came off....& 3 screaming little maltese came hurtling out & chased him, still screaming, up the street. Neighbours came running & held the bloke until the police came. Insurance companies, take note. :p

Edited by mita
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Just great, does this mean there will be even more pathetic losers driving around like idiots in their utes with the poor dogs just struggling to hold on. We don't need to be ecouraging these ----wits.

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Just great, does this mean there will be even more pathetic losers driving around like idiots in their utes with the poor dogs just struggling to hold on. We don't need to be ecouraging these ----wits.

Have to say I kind of agree.

Expecting a deluge of tradesmen at the shelter adopting up all the 'big' dogs! lol

It also crossed my mind with regard to public liability insurance when I read this article.

How does that go?

Eg

Someone using a dog to 'guard' tools on a ute.

Said dog bites/injures a passer by who gets too close to ute.

Question 1. Does the dog have to be registered as a guard dog? Fairly sure on the Gold Coast any dog kept as a guard dog on a property has to be registered as such, has to display a warning on the property etc.

Question 2. Is the owner of dog and ute liable?

Just something that popped into my head and was curious :rofl:

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Just great, does this mean there will be even more pathetic losers driving around like idiots in their utes with the poor dogs just struggling to hold on. We don't need to be ecouraging these ----wits.

Have to say I kind of agree.

Expecting a deluge of tradesmen at the shelter adopting up all the 'big' dogs! lol

It also crossed my mind with regard to public liability insurance when I read this article.

How does that go?

Eg

Someone using a dog to 'guard' tools on a ute.

Said dog bites/injures a passer by who gets too close to ute.

Question 1. Does the dog have to be registered as a guard dog? Fairly sure on the Gold Coast any dog kept as a guard dog on a property has to be registered as such, has to display a warning on the property etc.

Question 2. Is the owner of dog and ute liable?

Just something that popped into my head and was curious :)

I was wondering about this too & will your insurance go up due to you having a 'guard dog' on board.

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