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melskids 11:46 AM 04-29-2014
I cant believe I don't know the answer to this, but if parents pay in cash do we HAVE to provide a paper receipt at the time of payment?

I know we should, but do we HAVE to?
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drseuss 11:51 AM 04-29-2014
I don't. I give them one at the end of the year for tax purposes. That's all they really absolutely have to have.
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KidGrind 12:01 PM 04-29-2014
Originally Posted by melskids:
I cant believe I don't know the answer to this, but if parents pay in cash do we HAVE to provide a paper receipt at the time of payment?

I know we should, but do we HAVE to?
Whenever I hand over cash I EXPECT a receipt. In my opinion clients when especially paying in cash need a receipt. It is proof they have paid. Also for tax purposes, say they come up with a different figure than you. Without their receipts how could they effectively disagree with your calculations. Or with their receipts they could verify your calculations are correct.

If a provider refused to give me a receipt after handing her cash, it would raise red flags.
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ihop 12:13 PM 04-29-2014
I give recipes for all payments. But I'm pretty lazy and slow. Some times it takes Me a few weeks to put out receipts and no one has every questioned it.
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melilley 12:15 PM 04-29-2014
I don't think you HAVE to give a receipt, but personally I would. I agree with kidgrind, it covers you if they try to say they paid a different amount. I give my parents receipts no matter how they pay. I know most of them don't keep track of them, but at least if something happens, I have proof of payment.
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melskids 12:17 PM 04-29-2014
I'm not refusing....I would want one too.

I have a family who never asked me for receipts ALL year, I offered and she always said dont worry about it.

I always keep my own records and I gave her an end of the year statement already, which is signed by both of us. (which is how i've been doing it for 15+ years.)

She just called and told me that SHE is being audited, and wants weekly receipts for all of 2013.

I don't feel like I should have to go back and do that now. I dont have to prove she paid me....she has to prove she did. Why is that my problem? Why isnt the end of the year one good enough?
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NeedaVaca 12:21 PM 04-29-2014
If you already gave her a year end for 2013 that should be more than enough. No way would I do 52 receipts at this point. One statement is plenty.
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melilley 12:23 PM 04-29-2014
Originally Posted by melskids:
I'm not refusing....I would want one too.

I have a family who never asked me for receipts ALL year, I offered and she always said dont worry about it.

I always keep my own records and I gave her an end of the year statement already, which is signed by both of us. (which is how i've been doing it for 15+ years.)

She just called and told me that SHE is being audited, and wants weekly receipts for all of 2013.

I don't feel like I should have to go back and do that now. I dont have to prove she paid me....she has to prove she did. Why is that my problem? Why isnt the end of the year one good enough?
What a pain! I would just tell her that you gave her an end of the year receipt and she could use that, it's not your fault she didn't want her receipts. Or you could charge her for your time to get the info for her!
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KidGrind 12:24 PM 04-29-2014
Originally Posted by melskids:
I'm not refusing....I would want one too.

I have a family who never asked me for receipts ALL year, I offered and she always said dont worry about it.

I always keep my own records and I gave her an end of the year statement already, which is signed by both of us. (which is how i've been doing it for 15+ years.)

She just called and told me that SHE is being audited, and wants weekly receipts for all of 2013.

I don't feel like I should have to go back and do that now. I dont have to prove she paid me....she has to prove she did. Why is that my problem? Why isnt the end of the year one good enough?
I would NOT go back and give her receipts for the whole year. The year end receipt should be enough like other posters have mentions.
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TwinKristi 12:27 PM 04-29-2014
Originally Posted by KidGrind:
I would NOT go back and give her receipts for the whole year. The year end receipt should be enough like other posters have mentions.
I agree!! You offered, she decided, period. You gave her the end of the year statement and that's good enough.
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drseuss 12:35 PM 04-29-2014
Did she say that the IRS was asking specifically for weekly receipts, or do you think she might just think that's what she needs to cover her rear?
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drseuss 12:38 PM 04-29-2014
The cash client I have now is the same as yours, doesn't want weekly receipts. I think in the circumstance you are describing, I'd take my attendance and payment forms from the whole year (I have parents sign off on these), and just quickly type up one document that lists each week's pay and sign it as received at the bottom. Just to make whoever happy. Because if the records aren't thorough, YOU might be the next one to be audited.
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Little Bears FCC 02:44 PM 04-29-2014
I do a receipt each time I get paid. I also have a running YTD at the bottom left side of it. This way there is never a question on amount of payment and when it happened.
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Unregistered 03:31 PM 04-29-2014
I have had two receipt problems:

1. Terminated parent wanted one large receipt, when I had already given them weekly receipts covering that period. On the advice of the CC&R, I refused because I had already given out receipts and could possibly be held liable for double the amount. I had to tell them twice, but eventually they accepted it.

2. Had a parent who told me that they changed my receipts before submitting them for pre-tax reimbursement. That took some nerve. She said she didn't change the amounts but I had no way to know. I never got audited.

Now I have it covered in my contract: weekly is free, annual costs $xx, and any other configuration costs $XX per receipt. That makes up for my time creating an alternate-type receipt and documenting what I did for my files. And for anyone who requests annual, I actually print their receipts weekly and save them in their folder to give to them at the end of the year, since the receipts state what week each payment is for. So $xx didn't take me long

On the OP situation, I like this from DrSeuss:
I'd take my attendance and payment forms from the whole year (I have parents sign off on these), and just quickly type up one document that lists each week's pay and sign it as received at the bottom.
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Starburst 04:55 PM 04-29-2014
Originally Posted by KidGrind:
Whenever I hand over cash I EXPECT a receipt. In my opinion clients when especially paying in cash need a receipt. It is proof they have paid. Also for tax purposes, say they come up with a different figure than you. Without their receipts how could they effectively disagree with your calculations. Or with their receipts they could verify your calculations are correct.

If a provider refused to give me a receipt after handing her cash, it would raise red flags.


I would like to know that in case of a disagreement or if I fall behind on payments that I have that documentation to keep track and as a provider I would also like to keep track of it as well (if you get a receipt book with the transfer paper), so that a parent can't just say "oh, see I have a notebook I kept track of my payments in and I paid you" and possibly forge it to trick me.
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nothingwithoutjoy 05:50 PM 04-29-2014
Originally Posted by melskids:
I cant believe I don't know the answer to this, but if parents pay in cash do we HAVE to provide a paper receipt at the time of payment?

I know we should, but do we HAVE to?
It never occurred to me! But now I'm going to feel guilty if I don't! (Of course, it makes sense now that you mention it..)
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Second Home 04:32 AM 04-30-2014
I use the receipt book with carbon copies . I check off cash or check and put dates for the payment period . It has helped when a parent said they paid for xx days butmy receipt say different .
Everyone gets a receipt for every payment , what they do with them is their responsibility . I give year end total but that is it.
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coolconfidentme 04:51 AM 04-30-2014
Originally Posted by Second Home:
I use the receipt book with carbon copies . I check off cash or check and put dates for the payment period . It has helped when a parent said they paid for xx days butmy receipt say different .
Everyone gets a receipt for every payment , what they do with them is their responsibility . I give year end total but that is it.
Same here. I also put all payments in a spreadsheet. It's also helps if you have to go to court; record keeping speaks volumes to a judge. I'm not required to give an end of year statement but I do as well.
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