22 Tax Write-Offs for Independent Childcare Providers
NAICS business codeYour NAICS business code is a six-digit string of numbers that shows the type of work your business does. NAICS stands for North American Industry Classification System. When you do your taxes, you'll enter it in Box B of your Schedule C.624410
Reviewed bySabrina Wiechart, CPASabrina is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with over 15 years of experience in tax preparation, planning, and S-Corp compliance. She holds a Master’s in Accounting and specializes in helping self-employed individuals make smart tax decisions. Sabrina is passionate about simplifying the S-Corp process and making sure every client keeps more of what they earn.Childcare is one of the most rewarding professions there is, but let’s face it: it’s also exhausting. By the end of a long day, the last thing you want to worry about is your taxes. But like spit-up, paying them is an inevitable reality.
That’s why here at Keeper, we’ve gathered the best tax write-offs for independent childcare providers, so you can lower your tax bills and your stress levels at the same time. With these write-offs, you’ll be able to watch your savings grow up before your eyes!
You can write off any toys you buy for the children you're caring for to play with.
Craft supplies for art activities to keep children entertained can be fully deducted.
All of the books you purchase to read to the kids are considered write-offs.
First aid training and certification costs , like for CPR, can be deducted on your taxes.
This covers training that maintains or improves skills for the work you already do. Courses that qualify you for a new trade or profession are not deductible.
Go ahead and write off any additional expenses you won't be reimbursed for.
Print and online advertising costs for your business are considered write-offs.
Licensed home daycare gets an exception to the exclusive-use rule: a living room used for daycare by day and family by night still counts. Your deductible share is hours used for daycare over total hours in the year, times daycare square footage over total square footage.
Food served to children in your care is 100% deductible, not 50% like a business meal. You can track actual costs or use the IRS standard meal and snack rates with a daily log. If you take CACFP reimbursement, only costs above it count, and food for your own family never does.
Protecting yourself and your business with liability insurance? It's a write-off.
If your state requires you to carry a bond to hold your license, the premium is deductible.
Fees to renew your license to perform your work are fully deductible.
Fees for required background checks to do your job are deductible.
If you drive for work ...
Many things you use to do your job can be written off your taxes. That includes your car — if you use it for work.
For example, if you have to drive children in your care around town, or if you drive to pick up supplies, make house visits, or attend safety training, you can write off car expenses.
Parking for a meeting downtown, or any other work trip, is tax-deductible!
A toll while driving to or from a work destination is tax-deductible!
If you buy a new car, you can write off part of the cost every year for five years.
Flashlights, tire iron, duct tape, and other tools you may need in your vehicle are deductible.
Car insurance monthly fees, registration, even roadside assistance are partially deductible — if you use the actual expense method. The standard mileage rate already covers them.
Oil changes, repairs, and regular checkups are deductible if you use the actual expense method. Take the standard mileage rate instead and they're already baked into your per-mile deduction.
If you discuss work at a restaurant ...
If you schedule a business meal with a parent or fellow caretaker to talk about your services, you can write off the cost of the food or drinks.
If you discuss work with a coworker, mentor, client, or prospective client, it's a write-off — 50% of the tab.
If you leave town for work ...
Expenses you incur while traveling for work — such as providing child care services to a family on vacation — can be written off as a business expense.
Planes, trains, and car rentals are all work-related travel costs that can be written off.
When you travel for work, lodging expenses such as hotel rooms or Airbnb are write-offs.
When you're traveling for work, your meals are 50% deductible — takeout included. (Long-haul truck drivers subject to DOT hours-of-service rules can deduct 80%.)
If you work from home ...
Plenty of childcare providers use their homes as daycare facilities. Expenses like rent or utilities are needed to do their job and can be deducted from their taxes.
This also counts when you're taking care of additional work-related responsibilities from home, like marketing and advertising, researching new childcare activities, or keeping in touch with clients.
A desk, chairs, lamps, and other home office necessities are all tax write-offs. Anything over about $2,500 gets depreciated on Form 4562 instead of written off all at once.
Repairs just for your home office are 100% deductible. Repairs to the rest of your home count too, prorated by your business-use percentage on Form 8829.
Gotta keep the lights on in your home office! A portion of your electricity bill counts.
Whether it's rental or homeowners insurance, you can write off a portion through your home office deduction.
It'd be hard to work in an office without running water, huh? Your water bill counts.
You need internet to do your job! If you claim a home office, deduct it prorated on Form 8829 along with your other utilities. Internet you pay for on the road, purely for work, is 100% deductible.
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