I own a dog training business and how we try to help out the local SPCA is by boarding and training hard to adopt dogs. I understand that I cannot use my training time as a deduction but continue to get mixed answers on if I can deduct the boarding? So if I have the dog for 2 weeks and charge X amount for boarding can that be deducted? The SPCA acts like they just want me to give them a number for them to write on the form…

Generally, owning a business or being self employed will result in a larger amount of tax deductions than you would receive by working for someone else. However, there isn't currently any provision for deducting the expenses related to pets for any reason directly against your income taxes. Only if your dogs are anyway involved in the business;you run a pet show business, etc. If you use a vehicle for your dog training biz, you can take a deduction for expenses that you incur when using that vehicle for biz purposes. Picking up dogs for training or providing in-home services, as well as trips to solicit business, are acceptable biz uses. As of the date of publication, you can deduct $0.55 per business mile driven, or you can deduct the biz portion of the actual vehicle expenses if it results in a higher deduction. Keep an accurate logbook detailing all biz and personal use of your vehicle to validate these deductions; you may take a deduction for a percentage of certain home expenses, such as utilities and interest, or rent. You must use part of your home exclusively in your dog training business for this to apply. An office used to perform administrative functions and meet with clients would qualify, as would a training studio. You can deduct a percentage of home expenses that is proportional to the space your dog training business occupies;also, you may decide to provide meals for the dogs that you are training, or treats to encourage the dogs to perform better for the trainers. These items are deductible on your income tax as supplies. In addition, office supplies that you use for the administration of your biz are legitimate deductible biz expenses. The price that you pay for obstacle course equipment or for fencing for outside areas to keep the dogs under control can be deducted as well; if you operate your dog training business out of your home, the business portion of your homeowner's insurance is deductible as an expense from the business use of the home, as long as you meet the other tests for home office deductions, including exclusive use of the area. In addition, any business liability insurance is deductible. This can be beneficial because you may want to carry a special liability policy in case a dog that you trained bites or otherwise injures a person. If you purchase health insurance for yourself or your family, that insurance is deductible as an adjustment to your gross income.
please contact the irs for more info in detail.