Your dog is your best pal, but can he earn his living?
Here at Accountable Bookkeeping we see many tradies bring their dogs to work. Its a joy to see and we love to give them a belly rub when we enter their office. As fun at it is having your pooch around another up side is that it could also be beneficial when tax time comes around.. got your attention? Good!
Under the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) law, a tradesman who takes his or her pup to help them work can claim certain expenses. Their pets food training and even vet bills can be a legitimate work expense. We all know how expensive the vet bills can be.. that’s another story.
As long as your dog is providing a service, for example guarding tools or property, their expenses can be claimed. You just need to show that your dog is used in the course of income production. All you need to do is keep a Dog Log. This is a record of all the times your dog has been on site “working”… or sleeping, lets be honest.
We spoke to Michael a Bricklayer in Perth who was unaware his German Shepard could be claimed as an expense. He spends $40 a week on feeding Diesel as well as roughly $400 a year on vet bills.. it all adds up! “I will be mentioning it to the boys for sure” he said. “I know a lot of Tradies in Perth who might want to bring this up with their bookkeeper and accountant for tax time”
For more information on tax deductions please see the ATO website or contact us here at Accountable Bookkeeping. You can also subscribe to our newsletter that is full of tips and tricks for small business’s