Feeding Fido in New York could get a little cheaper if Manhattan lawmakers get their way. A new bill filed in Albany would scrap sales tax on pet food across the state, a move backers say would offer steady, if modest, relief to households shelling out more to feed and treat their companion animals. The proposal defines pet food broadly - from kibble and canned food to freeze-dried and specialty formulas - and lawmakers in both chambers have floated versions of the idea as pet-care bills inch through committee.
What the bill would do
Assembly Bill A10815, introduced April 1 and sponsored by Assemblymember Keith Powers, would add two new paragraphs to the state sales-tax code to exempt certain pet foods, including toppers, fresh and frozen products and specialty feeds. The bill is currently sitting with the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, according to the New York State Assembly. The text specifies that if the measure is enacted, the exemption would take effect immediately.
Senate companion and status
A similar move is underway in the upper chamber. Senate Bill S7089, sponsored by Sen. Andrew Lanza, seeks to exempt pet food from sales and compensating-use taxes and is now in the Senate Budget and Revenue Committee. As outlined by the New York State Senate, the sponsor memo lists fiscal implications as "to be determined," leaving the potential hit to state revenue unknown until analysts run the numbers. That uncertainty is one of several practical hurdles lawmakers will have to clear.
Who’s backing it
Supporters include elected officials and animal-welfare advocates who frame pet food as an everyday, non-negotiable expense. Councilmember Harvey Epstein has called pet food a "basic necessity" and said many New Yorkers are already struggling to afford pet care, while the rescue group Animal Haven told reporters it backs the proposal, according to PIX11. Backers argue that cutting the tax could keep pet owners from facing painful choices when prices spike.
How much it could help
Advocates point to numbers that show how quickly pet costs stack up. The American Kennel Club has cited figures indicating that veterinary care, grooming and other services can push annual costs into the mid-thousands for many owners, according to the AKC. Food alone typically runs in the low hundreds per year - roughly $446 annually in some analyses - per pet-cost reporting such as PetPlace. Removing sales tax, supporters say, would not be a windfall but could offer modest, predictable relief at the register for households already stretched by rising bills.
Other proposals on the table
The pet-food exemption is just one idea in a larger push to ease the financial burden of animal care. Lawmakers have also introduced a refundable tax-credit plan that would let owners claim up to $150 per pet for everyday supplies and up to $300 for veterinary care - a proposal that a $900 treat for pet owners reported would be capped at two pets per household. That credit model aims to cover a wider range of expenses but comes with similar questions about how far it would reach and what it would cost the state.
Next steps and fiscal questions
For now, both the Assembly and Senate versions of the pet-food exemption are parked in committee: A10815 in Assembly Ways and Means and S7089 in Senate Budget and Revenue. The Senate sponsor memo still lists fiscal implications as "to be determined," and analysts will need to estimate how much revenue the state could lose from a pet-food exemption before either bill advances to a floor vote. If both chambers pass the measure and the governor signs it, the Assembly text calls for the tax break to take effect immediately.
Pet owners, retailers and shelters will be watching those committee calendars closely as the proposals evolve. This piece will be updated as hearings are scheduled, amendments surface or fiscal analyses are released.
