Hinchey introduces bill to make pet food tax-free

ALBANY― State Senator Michelle Hinchey (D-Saugerties) is sponsoring new legislation to exempt pet food from the state sales tax.
According to a study by MarketWatch, New York ranks as the second most expensive state in the country to own a dog with the average annual cost of food running about $751.
“Our pets are our family, and at a time when we need to do everything we can to lower costs in New York, our legislation is a smart way to help people save money on pet food, which is often the biggest expense for pet parents,” said Hinchey.
“Making pet food a little more affordable is also a way to help keep pets with their forever families, and not force New Yorkers to surrender a beloved companion because the cost of caring for them has become unsustainable,” she said.
Assembly sponsor Keith Powers (D-Manhattan) added that, “Pets are considered family. They bring emotional support, companionship, and stability to millions of New Yorkers, and we should be doing everything we can to make it easier and more affordable to care for them.”
A TotalVet.com survey found recently that, compared to 2020, the price of dry dog food has increased by 41% on average. Purina ONE products saw an average increase of 86% compared to 2020 prices for the same products.
“Anything we can do to ease the burden at the cash register for pet owners is a welcome relief given the present state of our economy. We don’t pay sales tax on the food humans eat,” said Libby Post, executive director of the New York State Animal Protection Federation.
“Companion animals are part of our family. We shouldn’t have to pay sales tax to feed them either. This measure will go a long way in helping cash strapped pets owners feed their pets and ease the burden on local pet food pantries,” Post said.
If the bill is passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul, pet owners in New York would no longer have to pay state sales tax on pet food purchases, including kibble, wet food, and fresh, frozen, and freeze-dried options.
Currently, the only states without a sales tax on pet food are those without a universal sales tax, including Alaska, Montana, Delaware, Oregon and New Hampshire.