Default Style Register
Daycare.com Forum
Daycare and Taxes>Infant Meals
My Daycare 11:41 AM 01-08-2012
I have an infant that I provide meals for. He drinks 4 or 5 6oz bottles a day and 2 meals.

For the standard deduction, how many meals do I count and which ones?
Reply
Blackcat31 02:08 PM 01-08-2012
On the food program we can count 3 meals and/or snacks per day.

Option #1: 2 meals and one snack
Option #2: 2 snacks and one meal

No matter how if he ate breakfast, A.M. snack, lunch, P.M. snack and supper with you, you can only claim 3.

The first option pays the most since meals are reimbursed at a higher rate than snacks. It doesn't matter which option you claim if he eats as long as he was actually served those meals by you during your hours of care.

Hope that helps.
Reply
jojosmommy 03:36 PM 01-08-2012
I think for the food program you can deduct only 2 meals and one snack but for the federal tax deduction you can deduct ALL the meals and snacks you feed them. I know for a fact you can claim non food program credible snacks/meals, like twinkies if you choose to feed them that.

I think in your case you should deduct ALL the meals you feed them but you should have paperwork to prove you fed them that many meals EVERY day instead of just estimating. Do you have meal logs?
Reply
My Daycare 04:08 PM 01-08-2012
For the food program I claim Breakfast, Lunch & PM Snack for him.

I am not sure, but I think that if I claim that money from the food program as income, then I can take the standard dedution for all of the meals served. Right?

If that is right, I am not sure if a bottle is a meal or not, according to the standerd deduction. 2 of the bottles are close to or with his food meals and 2-3 are other times during the day.

I do have daily reports of all of the bottles and times and meals served on Minute Menu. Not just meals claimed on the food program.
Reply
TomCopeland 07:17 PM 01-08-2012
You can deduct the following number of meals and snacks using the IRS standard meal allowance rule:
1 breakfast $1.19
1 lunch $2.22
1 supper $2.22
3 snacks $.66
You cannot claim more than 6 servings a day to a child.

Since the breakfast and lunch rates are higher than the snack rates you would want to deduct a lunch and breakfast, then 3 snacks.

It's true that the Food Program only allows you to claim 3 servings a day, but the IRS allows you to deduct up to 6 servings a day.
Reply
Tags:deductions, infant meals, meals cost
Reply Up