Lawn Care Question?

[Provider_Manda]

Can you deduct lawn care from your taxes, if you do the work yourself?

[Thriftylady]

Can you deduct lawn care from your taxes, if you do the work yourself?

Tom has a blog on this somewhere I think. I seem to remember it saying you can't deduct lawn care, as you have to do it for your home anyway. But I could be remembering that wrong.

[TomCopeland]

lawn care

Can you deduct lawn care from your taxes, if you do the work yourself?

If you pay someone else to do lawn care you can deduct the time-space % of the cost. If you do lawn care yourself, you could only count the time if you would not be doing it if you weren't in business. Since you probably would still be doing lawn care if you weren't in business, don't count the time.

[Unregistered]

Childcare Center Help

Mr. Copeland I was wondering where can I get information concerning tax deductions for a Childcare Center that is not in my home. I currently have a Center in a location that is not my home. I have purchased most of your books. But, they mostly reference in-home childcare centers. Please help!! I am in the process of getting things together for tax purposes. I also have not officially opened. But, I have spent quite a bit on getting everything ready. Do most of the same tax rules apply to Centers in a separate location?

[TomCopeland]

center

Mr. Copeland I was wondering where can I get information concerning tax deductions for a Childcare Center that is not in my home. I currently have a Center in a location that is not my home. I have purchased most of your books. But, they mostly reference in-home childcare centers. Please help!! I am in the process of getting things together for tax purposes. I also have not officially opened. But, I have spent quite a bit on getting everything ready. Do most of the same tax rules apply to Centers in a separate location?

Since you will operate out of a space that is only used for business purposes, you can deduct 100% of the costs associated with the space. Therefore, you don't need to track the hours you work there. You can't count the mileage to and from your home and the space because this is commuting.

[LysesKids]

If you pay someone else to do lawn care you can deduct the time-space % of the cost. If you do lawn care yourself, you could only count the time if you would not be doing it if you weren't in business. Since you probably would still be doing lawn care if you weren't in business, don't count the time.

Thanks for the info... I actually have to pay lawn care due to being partially disabled & my long work hours plus where I live I have nowhere to keep lawn equipment; I assume it's the same if I have to hire out handyman services because I actually can't do the work myself - my house needs pressure washing, cleaning off the roof/gutters due to excessive leaves (house sits under 2 huge pine trees and one oak) and similar stuff that happens twice a year ( I am a widow, no man in the home to do odd jobs )

[TomCopeland]

handyman/woman

Thanks for the info... I actually have to pay lawn care due to being partially disabled & my long work hours plus where I live I have nowhere to keep lawn equipment; I assume it's the same if I have to hire out handyman services because I actually can't do the work myself - my house needs pressure washing, cleaning off the roof/gutters due to excessive leaves (house sits under 2 huge pine trees and one oak) and similar stuff that happens twice a year ( I am a widow, no man in the home to do odd jobs )

Yes, you can deduct the time-space 5 of work done by handypeople.

[LysesKids]

Thank you Tom