Mileage, treats, insurance — tracked in one app
Drive to clients. Buy treats and waste bags. Pay insurance. Take a training course. All in one place.
Mileage and small purchases — easy to forget at tax time
A typical dog walker drives between 5–10 client homes a day, picks up treats and waste bags from the supermarket, pays for canine first-aid courses, insurance and a DBS check. Mileage alone is often the single biggest deduction — and the easiest to lose.
What PocketReceipt tracks for dog walkers
Client mileage
GPS or manual trip log to every client. HMRC 45p/25p auto-calculated. Multi-stop walks handled.
Treats & waste bags
Treats, poo bags, leads, harnesses, towels. Quick-snap consumables receipts.
Insurance & DBS
Pet business insurance, public liability, DBS renewal. Tagged once, scheduled annually.
Training courses
Canine first-aid, behaviour qualifications, dog-handling courses. Fully allowable CPD.
Vehicle expenses
Choose simplified mileage or actual van costs. PocketReceipt's calculator picks the cheapest for your tax.
Phone & subscriptions
Business-use share of phone bill. Booking apps, accounting subs. Categorised automatically.
A typical dog walker's day, tracked
- 8:00am — start trip, drive between 6 client homes, mileage auto-logged
- 11:00am — pick up treats and poo bags from the supermarket, scan receipt
- 1:00pm — pay for a canine first-aid CPD course, receipt forwarded
- 3:00pm — second walk loop, mileage continues
- 5:00pm — public liability monthly premium auto-tagged
- Friday — export weekly summary to your accountant
FAQ for dog walkers
How do I claim mileage between client homes?
Start a trip in the app and let GPS log it, or enter manually. HMRC AMAP rates (45p/25p per mile) are auto-applied. Year-end export shows total claimable.
Are treats I buy for client dogs deductible?
Yes — treats used in the course of providing the service are an allowable business expense. Bulk-buy receipts can be tagged 'consumables'.
Can I claim my DBS check?
Yes. DBS renewals required for the business are fully allowable. Initial DBS is also allowable when starting the business.
Do I need insurance to be self-employed as a dog walker?
Strongly recommended (and often required by clients). Premiums are 100% allowable. Many trade-body memberships include cover.