Can Dog Walkers Deduct Mileage Between Clients?
Yes — mileage driven between client homes for walks is deductible for independent dog walkers, and for walkers who cover several neighborhoods in a day, it's often the single biggest deduction available.
You can calculate this mileage using either the standard mileage rate (a flat amount per business mile) or actual vehicle expenses, whichever works out better for your situation.
Most dog walkers come out ahead using the standard mileage rate simply because of how much short-distance, stop-and-start driving the job involves — the kind of driving that adds up quickly even over a few miles per stop.
What counts as deductible mileage: driving from one client's home to the next, trips to pick up or drop off keys, and errands directly tied to walks, like buying waste bags on the way to a route. What doesn't count: your regular commute from home to a fixed starting point, if you have one, before your route actually begins.
Other commonly deductible dog walking expenses:
Leashes, waste bags, and treats used for client dogs
Booking app and payment processing fees
Dog walker insurance and bonding
Marketing costs (flyers, business cards, referral platforms)
Pet first-aid supplies kept on hand for walks
The most common mistake dog walkers make is estimating mileage after the fact instead of tracking it as it happens — the IRS expects a contemporaneous log, and a rough guess at tax time rarely holds up if you're ever asked to explain it.
BossTax's free app tracks mileage automatically in the background between stops, so there's no manual logging required as you move between clients.
Curious how much your route mileage could be worth this year? Book a free intro call and we'll walk through it together. Click here.
Want our free Dog Walker Deduction Checklist? Enter your email and we'll send it over.
Related articles:
Standard Mileage vs. Actual Expenses: Which Saves Dog Walkers More?
Do Dog Walkers Need to Pay Quarterly Taxes?
What Can Dog Walkers Deduct Besides Mileage?
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