2020 Tax Changes Affecting Family Child Care Providers

Family child care providers faced many severe challenges in 2020. Here are the major tax changes affecting providers in 2020.

  • The standard meal allowance rate is $1.33 for breakfast; $2.49 for lunch and suppers; and $.74 for snacks. You can deduct up to one breakfast, one lunch, one supper and three snacks per day, per child.

  • The standard mileage rate is $.575 per business mile.

  • The federal government Stimulus checks received in 2020 are not taxable income.

  • Grants received from your state are taxable income. This is true whether or not you received a Form 1099.

  • Federal unemployment benefits are taxable as personal income on Form 1040. They are not taxable as business income on Schedule C or any other business tax form.

  • You can deduct any COVID-10 related expenses such as masks, gloves, sanitizers, and other supplies.

  • Money received from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) or the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program (EIDL) are not taxable income. I strongly urge all providers to apply for the First Draw PPP if they were in business as of February 15, 2020 and made a profit in either 2019 or 2020.

  • Providers who have employees may be eligible for the Employer Retention Tax Credit. See more from the IRS.

  • You can deduct up to $300 in charitable contributions on your 2020 Form 1040 even if you use the standard deduction.

  • If you were closed for weeks or months in 2020, be sure to include all the hours you spent on business activities in your home dealing with COVID-19 when children were not present.

  • The income eligibility for the Earned Income Credit (EIC) have increased to $47,646 (for married couples, filing jointly with one child), and $41,756 (if single with one child).

  • The income limits to qualify for the IRS Saver’s Credit has increased to $65,000 (adjusted gross income for couples filing jointly), and $32,500 for individuals or married people filing separately.

Tom Copeland - www.tomcopelandblog.com

Image credit: https://www.picserver.org/photo/9099/Tax.html

For more information on many of these changes, see my Family Child Care Tax Workbook and Organizer.

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