Cibo, games, snacks, but above all healthcare. Ensuring a good quality of life for your four-legged friend comes at a considerable cost. According to a survey by Federconsumatori per keep a dog in the 1st year of life an average of €1,700 to €2,500 is needed. While for the following years from 1,500 euros for a small dog to 2,232.20 for a medium/large dog. For the cat instead costs amount to an average of €1,178.50 for the first year of life. And at €892.00 for subsequent years. It goes without saying that if we consider that a dog or cat lives on average from 12 to 15 years, maintenance costs can have a significant impact on one’s financial resources. After years of waiting, it will finally arrive in 2024 support for families who bear these costs. The Meloni government has in fact included in the Budget Law the one that has already been renamed Pet Bonus or Pet Bonus.
Pet bonus, age and ISEE requirements to access the fund
In reality, paragraph 207 delle Quantitative measures for the realization of the programmatic objectives we read of a “fund” “intended to support owners of pets in payment of veterinary visits and veterinary surgical operations as well as in the purchase of veterinary drugs». It’s a scaled-down version of the initially hypothesized support but it’s still something.
The requirements to access the Pet Bonus are stringent. And this significantly limits the audience of beneficiaries. Only «owners of pets who have an ISEE value of less than 16,215 euros and an age greater than sixty-five years».
750 thousand euros over three years to support owners of dogs, cats, hamsters and canaries
To finance the bonus, an allocation of “250 thousand euros for the year 2024. 250 thousand euros for the year 2025 and 250 thousand euros for the year 2026” was made. That is, a total of 750 thousand euros in three years (2024-2026). While the methods for disbursing the resources and the criteria for allocating the resources have not yet been made known. They must be published within 90 days of the date of entry into force of the law. We should therefore know something more about the measure by Easter.
Which furry or feathered animals fall into the Pet Animals category? Based on Prime Ministerial Decree, 28 February 2023, everyone “animals kept, or intended to be kept, by humans for companionship or affection without productive or food purposes, including those that carry out activities useful to humans, such as dogs for disabled people, pet therapy animals, rehabilitation animals and animals used in advertising”. In practice: dogs, cats, ferrets, birds (excluding poultry), rodents and rabbits. It is not known at the moment about amphibians, aquatic animals and invertebrates: we will have to wait for other indications.
The deduction of veterinary expenses in the tax return (without ISEE limits)
This help is in addition to possibility of deducting veterinary expenses in your tax return that owners of dogs, cats & Co. already have, and without Isee limits. The deduction is equal at 19% of veterinary expenses incurred up to a maximum amount of 550 eurosfor the part that exceeds the deductible of 129.11 euros. This is stated in article 15, paragraph 1, letter c-bis of the TUIR.
As reported in the Revenue Agency’s guide to completing the 730the maximum deduction is less than 80 euros (given that the maximum limit is 550 euros, and the 19th deduction is calculated on an amount of 420.89 euros, net of the deductible).
To be deductible are the professional services of the veterinarian, the purchase of prescribed veterinary medicines, the costs of laboratory tests and interventions at accredited veterinary clinics (against the invoice or “talking” receipt). The deductibility limit is the same for all veterinary expenses incurred, regardless of the number of animals owned.
Applies only to pets
“Only veterinary expenses incurred for the care of legally kept animals, for companionship or for sporting purposes” can be deducted, certifiable with a microchip. In other words, “expenses for the care of animals intended for breeding, reproduction or food consumption are not deductible and of animals of any species bred or kept in the exercise of commercial or agricultural activities, nor in relation to animals used for illicit activities”.
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