Pets/Farm Animals

[bartelby]

Hello all. New to the forum happy to have found you all!

My wife and I recently started a preschool program out of our house. Our theme is an Urban Farm Preschool. We have about 3/4 acres in a small city.

Currently we have rabbits and chickens. They are in a penned off area per the instructions of our insurance agent.

My wife incorporates both into her curriculum - the children fetch eggs from the chicken coop, and they care for the rabbits by brushing them, holding them, etc, and they feed and water them both.

Can we write off all costs associated with these (food, housing, etc)? If not, which expenses?

Thanks in advance!

[Michael]

Welcome to the forum. Your daycare sounds like a fun place for kids to learn. Here are some threads that relate to time/space percentages: https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.p...ace+percentage

[Blackcat31]

Originally Posted by bartelby

Hello all. New to the forum happy to have found you all!

My wife and I recently started a preschool program out of our house. Our theme is an Urban Farm Preschool. We have about 3/4 acres in a small city.

Currently we have rabbits and chickens. They are in a penned off area per the instructions of our insurance agent.

My wife incorporates both into her curriculum - the children fetch eggs from the chicken coop, and they care for the rabbits by brushing them, holding them, etc, and they feed and water them both.

Can we write off all costs associated with these (food, housing, etc)? If not, which expenses?

Thanks in advance!

Welcome!

Here is Toms response to your question:

http://tomcopelandblog.com/are-my-pets-deductible-2

[TomCopeland]

Originally Posted by bartelby

Hello all. New to the forum happy to have found you all!

My wife and I recently started a preschool program out of our house. Our theme is an Urban Farm Preschool. We have about 3/4 acres in a small city.

Currently we have rabbits and chickens. They are in a penned off area per the instructions of our insurance agent.

My wife incorporates both into her curriculum - the children fetch eggs from the chicken coop, and they care for the rabbits by brushing them, holding them, etc, and they feed and water them both.

Can we write off all costs associated with these (food, housing, etc)? If not, which expenses?

Thanks in advance!

Yes, you can because you are incorporating these animals into learning activities with children. I wouldn't try to deduct 100% of these expenses since I assume they also have personal use. The overall costs also have to be reasonable in comparison with your business income. Deducting your time-space% of these costs would be conservative. Deducting more than that and less than 100% would be assertive, depending on how much business vs. personal use there is.

[bartleby77]

Should these be listed under schedule C as an itemized item or under general supplies.

Thanks so much for getting back to me!

[TomCopeland]

Originally Posted by bartleby77

Should these be listed under schedule C as an itemized item or under general supplies.

Thanks so much for getting back to me!

They go on Schedule C. List them as supplies.

[AmyKidsCo]

Are you licensed? Do you have any problems with licensing (feeding, poop, etc)? Just curious - not looking to judge. Our licensing regs say that pet food/water can't be in an area accessible to children so I wonder what they'd do about a farm setting.

[DaveA]

Originally Posted by AmyKidsCo

Are you licensed? Do you have any problems with licensing (feeding, poop, etc)? Just curious - not looking to judge. Our licensing regs say that pet food/water can't be in an area accessible to children so I wonder what they'd do about a farm setting.

We have chickens & ducks in backyard. They live in their mobile coop& fenced run during daycare hours (although they do “escape” occasionally. Licensing had no issues for years. New rep came & freaked out. By the time her, supervisor, & public health got done talking they came up with a “plan”. Birds stay in pen during daycare hours, no unsupervised contact with kids, and clean up any areas they make a mess on. You know- what I had been doing for years before.

[AmyKidsCo]

Originally Posted by DaveA

We have chickens & ducks in backyard. They live in their mobile coop& fenced run during daycare hours (although they do “escape” occasionally. Licensing had no issues for years. New rep came & freaked out. By the time her, supervisor, & public health got done talking they came up with a “plan”. Birds stay in pen during daycare hours, no unsupervised contact with kids, and clean up any areas they make a mess on. You know- what I had been doing for years before.

Isn't it interesting how one licensor can be fine with something but the next one freaks out?