As a professional pet care business owner, a big part (though probably not your favorite part) is being a business owner. For many, sitting a pet is easy – from walking dogs and visiting cats to continuing education in animal behavior, health, and first aid – and “pet” is the “best part”. However, the second part, the “business part” of paperwork, documentation, planning, tax, and accounting, is not as fun for most – but just as important. Keeping track of your accounting and understanding tax credits for pet sitters from Spokane WA (https://petsittingspokanewa.com) can save you time and money.
In a previous PSI survey, 48 percent of members indicated that they use an accountant for their pet care company, and 52 percent choose to handle taxes and accounting on their own.
Whether you choose to work with an accountant or handle the taxes yourself, it’s important to have a working knowledge of the tax requirements for small business owners.
To learn more about the required tax knowledge owners of pet care businesses should have, we contacted CPA Evan Hutcheson from the US.

Should pet care and dog walking business owners file taxes quarterly or annually?
As with most tax responses, it depends. Landlords will file their taxes annually, no matter what, but may be required to make quarterly payments if their income is high enough for the entire year. Small business owners should take a look at quarterly tax filing to avoid a huge tax bill at the end of the year.
Since they are self-employed, how can they best determine how much of their income they should “save” for state and federal taxes?
While other sources of income and deductible expenses will play a role, it will typically be between 20 and 33 percent, depending on your income.
Is it possible to deduct kilometers and car tolls (or only one or the other)? What proof of mileage do they need to collect it?
The [business owner] can claim the mileage or actual expenses plus vehicle depreciation. If you want to use a mileage, which is a popular choice, you’ll need a log that includes the date, destination, mileage, and business goal.
If the company has staff members (employees or independent contractors), what does the company have to provide for its staff members for tax purposes?
If the guardians are independent contractors (ICs), the CAs should complete Form W-9 for documentation. Then, at the end of the year, they should issue these performers 1099s. If workers are hired, workers would have to complete W-4 and the landlord would have to set up a payroll with the government to be able to file payroll taxes.
For companies with employees, do they deduct fees paid to employees as business expenses and must they use schedule C?
Companies can deduct workers’ wages. Sole proprietorships and sole proprietorships of LLCs can file a schedule C. Affiliates and multi-company LLC companies file Form 1065, which is a separate tax return. Corporations report 1120 or 1120-S.
What are some business deductions that pet owners and dog walkers may not usually think about?
Business deductions for pet owners and dog walkers may not include dog food (if provided to customers), home use for business, supplies, advertising expenses, office expenses, fees (such as association membership), and expenses related to travel events and industry conferences.