# No tax on tips for pet groomers and caretakers

Yes — pet groomers and caretakers are on Treasury's list of tipped occupations as TTOC 506 (Pet and Show Animal Caretakers), so qualified tips from this work can be deducted from federal income tax, up to $25,000 a year for 2025 through 2028, reduced above $150,000 of income ($300,000 filing jointly).

Work out your deduction with the free [calculator on this page](https://rulecost.com/paycheck/no-tax-on-tips/pet-groomers/).

- Treasury Tipped Occupation Code: 506
- Category: Personal services
- Share who reported tips: 19.1%
- Tips as share of pay, among those with tips: 16.2%
- Related SOC codes: 39-2021

What counts as a tip: If you rent a booth or chair or otherwise work for yourself, you are self-employed: the deduction can’t exceed your net income from that business, and your tips won’t be on a W-2, so keep your own records.

## Sources

- [T.D. 10044: Occupations That Customarily and Regularly Received Tips; Definition of Qualified Tips (Internal Revenue Bulletin 2026-18)](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-irbs/irb26-18.pdf), Internal Revenue Service
- [26 U.S.C. § 224 — Qualified tips](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/224), Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School