Can Your Dog Be a Dependant? A New York Lawyer Is Suing the IRS to Find Out.

A New York attorney is taking the IRS to court in a bid to force the agency to recognize her golden retriever as a legal dependent for tax purposes. The novel lawsuit tests the legal boundaries of what—or who—can be considered family in the eyes of the law.

The suit was filed by Amanda Reynolds on behalf of herself and her dog, Finnegan Mary Reynolds, in the Eastern District of New York. According to the filing, Reynolds argues that the current tax code's failure to recognize non-human dependents “violates constitutional guarantees of Equal Protection under the Fourteenth Amendment and, simultaneously, protections against arbitrary wrongful takings under the Fifth Amendment.”

While its legal prospects are uncertain, the case highlights a growing cultural shift where pet owners increasingly see their animals as family members, incurring significant costs for their care that mirror those of raising a child. The lawsuit effectively asks whether the law should catch up to this social reality.