Golden retriever Finnegan Mary Reynolds has her name on a federal lawsuit that aims to change how the IRS treats America's pets at tax time. Finnegan and her owner, New York attorney Amanda Reynolds, are suing the tax agency in a bid to let people claim their dogs, cats, and other household creatures as dependents, a status that would come with deductions and other benefits, per Quartz. Right now, the IRS classifies pets as property, but Reynolds argues they function more like family members and meet the agency's own criteria for dependents: They bring in no income, they take up full-time residence with their caretaker, and they cost thousands of dollars a year in support.
Per the Independent, recent research found that "an increasing number of owners have begun to regard their dogs as their children." "For all intents and purposes, Finnegan is like a daughter, and is definitely a 'dependent,'" Reynolds' lawsuit states, insisting the case is "not frivolous or meritless," per Quartz. Reynolds contends the current rules unfairly penalize pet owners, especially given that some animals, such as trained service dogs, already unlock tax breaks for their handlers. She points to average annual pet expenses upward of $5,000 for food, veterinary care, boarding, and other needs.
Reynolds' reasoning aims to show that pets are "quasi-citizens entitled to limited civil recognition," her suit notes, per Forbes. The court so far appears skeptical. Magistrate Judge James M. Wicks in the Eastern District of New York has agreed to halt discovery while the IRS prepares a motion to dismiss. Wicks also seemed to suggest that the Fifth Amendment and 14th Amendment, which Reynolds cited in her suit, didn't apply or were claims unlikely to succeed in this case.
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