Get a tax deduction for caring for stray, feral, or foster cats!

Did you know that you may be eligible to claim expenses you incur caring for stray, feral, or foster cats?  Ms. Van Dusen recently won her case in Tax Court after the IRS rejected her $12,068 in charitable contribution deduction on her tax return for unreimbursed volunteer expenses caring for feral cats.

There are certain requirements to be met to qualify for the deductibility of all of those charitable contribution deductions, such as the maintenance of proper records for one's deductions, an acknowledgment from a IRS-qualified 501(c)(3) organization of your volunteering, etc.  But many of Van Dusen's expenses were deductible, including those incurred for food, medical care, cleaning supplies, utility bills, and other costs of taking care of and sheltering stray, feral, or foster cats.

If you provide care for feral, stray, or foster cats as a volunteer with a legitimate cat rescue group, do you deduct expenses related to your volunteer activities?

William Brighenti, CPA