Tax payers in Andalucía will be able to deduct veterinary expenses for their pets from next year

The Junta de Andalucía budgets for next year will include a new package of tax reductions - the seventh since Juanma Moreno has been president of the Andalusian regional government. This was announced by Moreno himself, who assured that the reductions approved in the past six years have actually allowed a revenue increase of around 18 billion euros, while reducing the pressure on taxpayers in Andalucía by one billion euros. This new package will mean additional tax savings of 55 million euros.

The Junta has not yet disclosed which taxes will be reduced in the new package, although Moreno said that one of these measures will benefit some 180,000 people in the region. At the El Confidencial forum held on Tuesday, he said that those families that acquire a pet will be able to deduct 30% of veterinary expenses, with an upper limit of up to 100 euros, during the first year. If the animal is adopted from a shelter, the owner will be able to benefit from the deduction for three years. If it is a service animal, as is the case of guide dogs, the deduction can be applied throughout the animal's life.

This last measure includes, in addition to guide dogs for blind people, dogs that detect low blood sugar or epileptic seizures and dogs that assist women who are victims of gender-based violence. In these cases, the discount can be applied with immediate effect, i.e. the dogs do not necessarily need to have been adopted or acquired now.

Moreno highlighted the novelty of this measure, which makes Andalucía a pioneer in the field in Spain. "Pets are, in fact, another member of our families and they give us affection," said the president of the Andalusian government, adding that pet owners must repay their animals not only with affection but also with medical care and attention. According to Moreno, this measure seeks to attend to people who live with animals and those who need service dogs in their daily lives.

The estimated value of this measure amounts to 12 million euros per year. According to Moreno, thanks to the successive tax cuts since 2019, Andalucía has established itself as the second Spanish region in which inhabitants pay less taxes.

Moreno pointed out that these tax reforms have led, together with other measures such as administrative simplification, to an increase in the number of personal income taxpayers in Andalucía, which has grown by 22% since 2018, as well as in revenue, which has grown by 50%.