Lets Make A List For T/S %

[TomCopeland]

Time

"So if I understand you correctly, the only "time in the home" we can count as "work" is if it is above and beyond what we normally would do?"

That is correct.

There's a difference between paying someone to do work and counting time you spend on the activity. When you pay someone to mow your lawn you can deduct a portion of this as a business expense because it's "ordinary and necessary" to do so for your business. When you mow the lawn you can't count your time because your business didn't create this work. If you said you mowed your lawn twice a week because you are in business, and only mowed it once a week before you were in business, then you could count the time spent mowing once a week. But, I don't know of providers who mow their lawn more because they are in business.

I wouldn't hire your son or husband to mow your lawn. The IRS says that when self-employed people hire family members to do work, the work cannot be for household chores and I think mowing the lawn falls into this category.

Paying someone to clean the ducts in your home would be partially a business expense. Don't count the time.

[Punkin.Butts]

I might have been doing it wrong..

Tracking these hours that everyone is listing is probably the single most important record keeping task you can perform that will reduce your taxes the most!

However, you can't count hours that you would be spending on activities that you would do if you weren't in business, such as hours spent mowing lawn/gardening. Don't count hours on general cleaning activities: duct cleaning, cleaning out garage, painting a deck, cleaning out gutters, cleaning the pool, washing the car, etc. If this cleaning is for areas that are used by the business (deck, pool, garage) you can count some of the time, but not all of the time.

You can't count time spent away from your home. If you have meetings in your home or do online training in your home, this counts.

So I have only been counting the time on daycare specific items. usually I count about 30 - 45 min a days worth of all this stuff for "after hours" becasue I do a lot of it during daycare hours which I know you can't double count. however, I have only been keeps a weekly total of time for each activity... so one week I may spend 2.5 hours on this stuff.. but other weeks i may spend 4 or 5 hours especially since I sanitize/clean/soak all the toys every other friday. wash all washable items every friday, I even treat my couch and beds for lice every friday etc.. Is a grouped number for the week ok or do I need it broken down my the day?

[MarinaVanessa]

Don't forget, time spent on this forum counts towards your time/space.

[Childminder]

Also remember that you can't count the time doing any of this stuff if you have daycare kids present.

[TomCopeland]

Hours

Can we claim training or meetings done away from our home? I always thought the rule was no, but there is a heading under other time spent in mmk for meetings or trainings. If we can I've been missing out on alot of hours!

You can't count time spent away from your home, even if you were doing a business activity.

[TomCopeland]

Hours

So I have only been counting the time on daycare specific items. usually I count about 30 - 45 min a days worth of all this stuff for "after hours" becasue I do a lot of it during daycare hours which I know you can't double count. however, I have only been keeps a weekly total of time for each activity... so one week I may spend 2.5 hours on this stuff.. but other weeks i may spend 4 or 5 hours especially since I sanitize/clean/soak all the toys every other friday. wash all washable items every friday, I even treat my couch and beds for lice every friday etc.. Is a grouped number for the week ok or do I need it broken down my the day?

The best way to keep track of the hours you are working in your home when children are not present it to keep careful records for at least two months and use the average for these two months for the rest of the year. I've written about this here: http://www.tomcopelandblog.com/2013/...-software.html

[Sunchimes]

TIme/space

Never mind, it ended up in the wrong place.

[M&Mgal]

Professional carpet cleaning of only daycare room

I'm having my daycare room carpets professionally cleaned this weekend. This room is used 100% for business. Can I claim the time they spend giving me a quote (going over different packages & measuring) and the time they spend cleaning the carpets?

[Blackcat31]

I'm having my daycare room carpets professionally cleaned this weekend. This room is used 100% for business. Can I claim the time they spend giving me a quote (going over different packages & measuring) and the time they spend cleaning the carpets?

T/S is time YOU spend doing something for daycare not the amount of time others spend doing something for you/your daycare.

[M&Mgal]

Tom says that time your husband spends doing daycare related things can be counted (https://www.daycare.com/forum/showth...highlight=time), as long as it's not at the same time as you. I'm pretty sure I've seen that things like a repair main coming in during non-daycare hours is also countable, but I can't find that article or it on here anywhere. Hoping Tom will give me an answer

[M&Mgal]

Tom: Also, I think I remember reading that time my own children (12 & 15 yrs old) spend doing daycare things, (like cleaning up the daycare toys after the daycare kids leave) is also countable. Just as long as I'm not trying to count my time at the same time. Is that correct or wrong?

[TomCopeland]

time-space %

I'm having my daycare room carpets professionally cleaned this weekend. This room is used 100% for business. Can I claim the time they spend giving me a quote (going over different packages & measuring) and the time they spend cleaning the carpets?

Yes, you can count the time they spent in your home when children were not present.

[TomCopeland]

time-space %

Tom says that time your husband spends doing daycare related things can be counted (https://www.daycare.com/forum/showth...highlight=time), as long as it's not at the same time as you. I'm pretty sure I've seen that things like a repair main coming in during non-daycare hours is also countable, but I can't find that article or it on here anywhere. Hoping Tom will give me an answer

Yes, anyone doing work associated with your business in your home when children were not present can be counted towards your time-space %.

[TomCopeland]

time-space %

Tom: Also, I think I remember reading that time my own children (12 & 15 yrs old) spend doing daycare things, (like cleaning up the daycare toys after the daycare kids leave) is also countable. Just as long as I'm not trying to count my time at the same time. Is that correct or wrong?

You are correct.

[Blackcat31]

Yes, you can count the time they spent in your home when children were not present.

Yes, anyone doing work associated with your business in your home when children were not present can be counted towards your time-space %.

You are correct.

Tom says that time your husband spends doing daycare related things can be counted (https://www.daycare.com/forum/showth...highlight=time), as long as it's not at the same time as you. I'm pretty sure I've seen that things like a repair main coming in during non-daycare hours is also countable, but I can't find that article or it on here anywhere. Hoping Tom will give me an answer

It's true...you learn something new every day!

Good info!

I don't do any T/S % at all so I was definitely mis-informed about what it actually means/entails.