Infant Cereal/Food

[Nickel]

I have a question regarding claiming food for infants. I tried searching the forum and couldn't find what I was looking for.

I have an infant in my care. Mom provides formula and I provide cereal, baby food, and juice. I am not on the food program. Do I claim the standard meal deduction for her meals and if so what constitutes a meal and what is just a snack for an infant? OR do I claim the actual cereal and jars of food I purchased?

Thanks in advance

[TomCopeland]

Since you are providing part of the meal for the infant you can count the meals and use the standard meal allowance to claim food expenses. You can count a serving as breakfast if you serve the food around breakfast time. Same thing for lunch and supper. You can't claim more than one breakfast, one lunch, one supper and three snacks per day per child. Determine what it is you serve the infant by the time of day you serve it.

You do have the choice of deducting the actual cost of the food you serve, instead of using the standard meal allowance rule.


Join me for a webinar “2012 Tax Changes: How to Avoid Mistakes on Your Tax Return” Tuesday, February 12th at 8:30-10:00pm Eastern Time. The cost is $25 (100% tax deductible!). To register: http://events.r20.constantcontact.co...&llr=yatrx4cab

[sammie]

Tom - when my infants are eating cereal/baby food I listed those as an expense and then when they start eating "regular" food I then start counting their meals with the standard meal allowance...is that ok? Thanks!!

[SilverSabre25]

related question...my infant drinks breastmilk and the family provides the jarred food (their choice) but I'm of course sitting there feeding it all to him. Do I claim his meals at all?

[TomCopeland]

Originally Posted by sammie

Tom - when my infants are eating cereal/baby food I listed those as an expense and then when they start eating "regular" food I then start counting their meals with the standard meal allowance...is that ok? Thanks!!

When claiming food expenses you must use either the standard meal allowance rate or the actual food cost method for all the food for the year. You can't use the standard rate for some food and the actual expenses of other food.


Join me for a webinar “2012 Tax Changes: How to Avoid Mistakes on Your Tax Return” Tuesday, February 12th at 8:30-10:00pm Eastern Time. The cost is $25 (100% tax deductible!). To register: http://events.r20.constantcontact.co...&llr=yatrx4cab

[TomCopeland]

Originally Posted by SilverSabre25

related question...my infant drinks breastmilk and the family provides the jarred food (their choice) but I'm of course sitting there feeding it all to him. Do I claim his meals at all?

To claim a meal as a business deduction you have to serve at least part of the food that you bought. If the parents provided all the food for the meal, you can't deduct this meal, even though you served it to them.

Join me for a webinar “2012 Tax Changes: How to Avoid Mistakes on Your Tax Return” Tuesday, February 12th at 8:30-10:00pm Eastern Time. The cost is $25 (100% tax deductible!). To register: http://events.r20.constantcontact.co...&llr=yatrx4cab

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by TomCopeland

To claim a meal as a business deduction you have to serve at least part of the food that you bought. If the parents provided all the food for the meal, you can't deduct this meal, even though you served it to them.

Join me for a webinar “2012 Tax Changes: How to Avoid Mistakes on Your Tax Return” Tuesday, February 12th at 8:30-10:00pm Eastern Time. The cost is $25 (100% tax deductible!). To register: http://events.r20.constantcontact.co...&llr=yatrx4cab

Ok, now I am confused. My food program coordinator says we CAN claim and be reimbursed for meals/snacks consisting of breast milk only for infants under age 8 months.

Obviously the parent supplies the breast milk but I am feeding/serving the child the meal

Is this not claimable/deductible?

[TomCopeland]

Originally Posted by Blackcat31

Ok, now I am confused. My food program coordinator says we CAN claim and be reimbursed for meals/snacks consisting of breast milk only for infants under age 8 months.

Obviously the parent supplies the breast milk but I am feeding/serving the child the meal

Is this not claimable/deductible?

You can get reimbursed for these meals and snacks by the Food Program, but you can't deduct these meals on your tax return, even though you feed/serve them.

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by TomCopeland

You can get reimbursed for these meals and snacks by the Food Program, but you can't deduct these meals on your tax return, even though you feed/serve them.

Oh ok...gottcha! Thank you for clarifying.