Originally Posted by TomCopeland:
Yes, you must claim as income the reimbursements you receive from the Food Program. The exception is that reimbursements for your own children are not income.
You can deduct as a business expense all the meals and snacks you serve that are reimbursed, as well as all the meals and snacks you are not reimbursed. The maximum is one breakfast, one lunch, one supper and three snacks per day, per child.
You have two ways you can claim food expenses. You can use the standard meal allowance method and deduct $1.32 per breakfast, $2.48 for lunch and supper and $.74 for snacks. Using this method you don't need any food receipts. The second method is to save all business and personal food receipts and deduct the business food. My book Family Child Care Record Keeping Guide has a long chapter on deducting food expenses. My blog (www.tomcopelandblog.com) has many articles on this as well.
That makes sense! Thank you!
