Tax for dog walkers and pet sitters

Walks, day care, boarding, drop-in visits — if you look after other people's pets for a living, you're self-employed, and the tax is refreshingly manageable once you know what to claim.

Once you earn more than £1,000 a year from dog walking or pet care, you'll file a Self Assessment return and pay tax on your profit after costs.

How much tax will you actually pay?

You're taxed on your profit — your income after allowable costs — not on everything you take. For the 2026/27 tax year:

• The first £12,570 is tax-free (your personal allowance).
• 20% income tax on profit between £12,570 and £50,270.
• 6% Class 4 National Insurance on that same slice — Class 2 is treated as paid automatically.
• Above £50,270 it steps up to 40% tax and 2% National Insurance.

A worked example. Say you take £18,000 and, after travel, kit and insurance, your profit is £15,000 — your only income. Nothing on the first £12,570, then 20% tax on the £2,430 above it (£486) and 6% Class 4 NI (£146) — about £632 for the year.

If you also have an employed job, that salary usually uses your personal allowance first, so more of your self-employed profit is taxed — we work out both sides together. Our how-much-tax guide has the full breakdown.

Costs you can usually claim

• Travel between clients — 55p per mile for the first 10,000 miles and 25p after, or actual vehicle costs.
• Kit — leads, harnesses, poo bags, treats, towels and a pet first-aid kit.
• Insurance — pet-business and public liability cover.
• DBS check and canine first-aid training that keeps your skills current.
• Uniform and branded clothing.
• Booking software, website and your phone.
• A share of home for admin, or boarding costs if pets stay with you.

How to file, step by step

• 1. Register with HMRC for Self Assessment by 5 October after the tax year you started. You'll get a UTR (Unique Taxpayer Reference). Here's how →
• 2. Keep records through the year — what you earned, and receipts for what you spent.
• 3. File your return online by 31 January (or on paper by 31 October). The dates that matter →
• 4. Pay what you owe by 31 January.

Making Tax Digital

Making Tax Digital is already here: since 6 April 2026 it applies if your gross self-employment and property income — your turnover, before expenses — was over £50,000. The threshold drops to £30,000 in April 2027 and £20,000 in April 2028. It means keeping digital records and sending HMRC a short update every quarter — 7 August, 7 November, 7 February and 7 May — on top of your year-end return. We keep it in order and file it for you.

Common questions

Do dog walkers pay tax? Yes — dog walking and pet care is self-employment, so once you earn more than £1,000 in a tax year you file a Self Assessment return and pay tax on your profit.

What can dog walkers claim as expenses? Travel between clients (55p per mile for the first 10,000 miles from April 2026), leads, harnesses, poo bags and a first-aid kit, pet-business and public liability insurance, a DBS check, canine first-aid training, uniform, and booking apps and your phone.

How much tax will I pay? No tax on the first £12,570, then 20% tax and 6% Class 4 National Insurance on profit above it. On £15,000 of profit that's about £632 for the year.

This guide is general information, not personal tax advice. Figures are for the 2026/27 tax year and can change at each Budget — always confirm the current numbers on GOV.UK or ask us to check your situation.