Food Program & Meal Deduction?

[midaycare]

I'm hiring an accountant this year, but I want to understand how this works. How do you use the food program, and also claim the Standard Meal Allowance?

I know for the FP I can only claim a variation of 3 meals/snacks per day. The SMA allows you to claim up to 6. I never serve more than 4, but how does that work? Am I supposed to be keeping track of all of the extra meals in Minute Menu and then give that tally to my accountant?

TIA,
midaycare

[Michael]

Some more threads on Meal Deductions: https://daycare.com/forum/tags.php?tag=meal+deductions

[Unregistered]

I keep track of all extra meals in minute menu, the food program knows your doing this for taxes, and just disallow the extra meals.

[spinnymarie]

I think the answer is yes :) TOm's book, the Tax guide one, has a place for you to track all the meals that were paid for by a food program PLUS all the meals that weren't reimbursed and that's the number you use for the taxes. You will also claim the income from the Food program as income. :)

[TomCopeland]

I'm hiring an accountant this year, but I want to understand how this works. How do you use the food program, and also claim the Standard Meal Allowance?

I know for the FP I can only claim a variation of 3 meals/snacks per day. The SMA allows you to claim up to 6. I never serve more than 4, but how does that work? Am I supposed to be keeping track of all of the extra meals in Minute Menu and then give that tally to my accountant?

TIA,
midaycare

You can deduct all meals/snacks served to daycare children, including those that are not reimbursed by the Food Program. If your CACFP sponsor allows you to put all your meals/snacks into Minute Menu, then do so. If they don't want you to do this, then keep track of these extra meals/snacks elsewhere and add them together when claiming your food expenses.

[M&Mgal]

My food program lady doesn't work with Minute Menu, unfortunately. So no submitting electronically for me. And she doesn't want me to check the extra boxes; she seems to think I'm asking to be paid for those meals :confused: I have to print out my MM paperwork for FP each month without the extra meals marked, then after I have printed my monthly forms for the FP I go through and check the extra boxes for my taxes. (Thanks for the reminder! I just realized/remembered that I never checked the afternoon snack boxes for one child last month after printing my FP stuff!)