Curious - Deductions

Just curious if I am in line with others on my deductions.
Curious how much you deduct? Mine figures to about 1/2.
$57,000 came down to $29,000 after deductions.
I just feel like I am still missing something.

[Michael]

Some helpful Time/space % threads: http://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.ph...ace+percentage

[TomCopeland]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Just curious if I am in line with others on my deductions.
Curious how much you deduct? Mine figures to about 1/2.
$57,000 came down to $29,000 after deductions.
I just feel like I am still missing something.

In my experience the deductions that providers most often miss are: car loan interest, depreciation on furniture and appliances purchased before they went into business, too low food expense (because they didn't count meals and snacks served that were not reimbursed by the Food Program), too low time-space % (because they didn't count the hours they used their home for business when children were not present), too low time-space % (because they didn't count all the rooms in their home as regularly used for their business).

[Abigail]

How do you start out with a dollar amount anyways? I know how to do my time/space and such, but where do people get a dollar amount for things? This is my first year in business.

[TomCopeland]

When you depreciate items you owned before you went into business you must estimate their value at the time your business began. This is always a guess. What would a stranger pay you for this item? Take pictures of these items for your records. A couch you bought 5 years ago for $1,000 is not now worth $800. Maybe $200? It depends. If you do a reasonable guess you will be fine. I helped a provider who was audited last year and claimed that the value of her items was $34,000 when her business began. She had a spreadsheet listing several hundred items around her home. She guessed all her numbers. In the end, the IRS accepted everything.

I have been in business over 10 years, but never deducted the depreciation of all of my household things when I began. Is there a way to do this now?

[TomCopeland]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I have been in business over 10 years, but never deducted the depreciation of all of my household things when I began. Is there a way to do this now?

Yes. Use IRS Form 3115. See my article on this:http://www.tomcopelandblog.com/2011/...ductions-.html