Claim Your Own Children?

[Unregistered]

I'm curious. When I'm calculating my meal expenses for my in home child care...can I claim the meals and snacks that I feed my own children? I was a single family, plus my own children. Thanks!

[kendallina]

Nope...only for daycare kiddos.

[rysakaem1]

You should check with your food program. In Fl, I can claim my children under age 13 if there is atleast 1 daycare child present for the meal or snack.

[kendallina]

Oh yeh, if you're talking about for the food program, you'd have to check with your food program.

But, for taxes you can't.

[TomCopeland]

You can never deduct the cost of food served to your own children as a business expenses, even if you are receiving reimbursements for your own children from the Food Program.

[Unregistered]

ok...different answers here...tom. you say no. so i'm going to assume that that's the correct answer :)
even if the other children are here and being served, i can not claim my own....thanks guys!

[TomCopeland]

I think the difference here is about two different things. Providers may get reimbursements from the Food Program for their own children if their family is low income. However, no provider can deduct the cost of the food served to their own children. IRS Publication 587 Business Use of Your Home states this clearly.