I opened my home daycare in June of this year. I was planning on hiring a professional to prepare my taxes but I am wondering if anyone recommends an alternative like Turbo Tax or doing them myself. I just hate the thought of paying hundreds of dollars to someone to do it when it might be easier than I thought. I know Tom Copeland has a book that helps those who prepare them alone, would anyone recommend this as a first time provider filing?

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You could use my 2013 Family Child Care Tax Workbook and Organizer to help you do your taxes. Here's a link to a family child care tax preparer directory:http://www.nafcc.org/index.php?optio...499&Itemid=831

Here's an article I wrote about using TurboTax:http://www.tomcopelandblog.com/2011/...-software.html

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Tom, do you think it would be easy enough for me to use your book and do it? Unfortunately, I did not do record keeping like I probably should have. The only thing I did was save every receipt I made for daycare purchases, but I don't want to miss anything for deductions. Does the book walk you step by step through each item?

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The book does not identify all the deductions you are entitled to. My book Family Child Care Record Keeping Guide does. It identifies over 1,000 allowable business expenses. So, either get both books, or use a tax preparer.

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I have a related question. When does the 2013 tax workbook and organizer come out? I only see the 2012 version on Amazon so I am assuming it is released after the first of the year maybe?

This is also my first year at this so I am unfamiliar with the timeline of how this works.

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The 2013 Tax Workbook and Organizer will be released on January 15, 2014. This has always been the case. Here's the link to the book on Redleaf Press: http://www.redleafpress.org/Family-C...zer-P1035.aspx

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