Apply for a reduction in dog tax

What deadlines must be paid attention to?

There is no application deadline. The application for a tax reduction can be submitted as soon as the conditions for the tax reduction are met.
However, the circumstances at the beginning of the calendar year or at the beginning of the tax liability are decisive for the granting of a tax reduction (e.g. if a dog is acquired during the year).

Example: A dog (older than 3 months) that is used to guard farmsteads was purchased on 01.04.2024.
The conditions for a tax reduction are met from the outset. The tax reduction can be applied for together with the registration of the dog.

Example: A dog initially kept for other purposes since 18.10.2023 (older than 3 months) becomes a guard dog on 01.04.2024 after obtaining a test certificate from a recognized professional association. The owner does not change.

The conditions for a tax reduction were not yet met on 01.01.2024. Therefore, no tax reduction can be claimed for the year 2024. However, the application for a tax reduction can be submitted in 2024 for the year 2025.

If an application is submitted for previous years, a tax reduction may be excluded in individual cases because, for example, a change to the tax assessment is no longer permitted for procedural reasons. The Bremen tax office will check on a case-by-case basis whether the requirements for an amendment are met.

How long does it take to process

The processing time can take several weeks.

What are the costs?

gebührenfrei