Printing Costs

[someonethomas]

I have two little ones leaving in July and I'm in the process of printing off their Journals which I've had on my computer since Oct 2011. They are in a Powerpoint format with photos and text on A4 to accompany pictures and crafts, etc, in their actual scrapbooks/journals.

Could anyone please give me some advice on how I can calculate expenses for printing A4 coloured pages with photos / text please???

Thanks very much.

[jo f]

I put ink carteidges down as expenses

[sarah707]

I put ink and paper through my books.

I always use the 'draft' option in printer properties to cut down on costs

[someonethomas]

I put ink and paper through my books.

I always use the 'draft' option in printer properties to cut down on costs

Thank you both. What if I use my printer for non-childminding work though?! Can I give a rough estimate of how much is home and how much is childminding?

[mummyof3]

I put through the whole cost of all my ink and paper as it usually is work related apart from the odd sheet of homework. Think HMRC have better things to do than check on that single piece of paper with ink on it. Don't worry

[chocolateyclare]

I Always put through the whole cost of my paper and ink. I dont think the are ever going to check what percentage you use for business or personal.

[loocyloo]

I put through the whole cost of all my ink and paper as it usually is work related apart from the odd sheet of homework. Think HMRC have better things to do than check on that single piece of paper with ink on it. Don't worry

same here.

[someonethomas]

Thanks so much everyone

[Bluebell]

I alternated the purchases as before I did c/m full time I did use the computer to print out a lot of various things but now I can't think of anything I print out that isn't childminding related and having just replaced all the ink cartridges when I purchase next time it will definitely be going down as a business expense!

[victoria29]

I dont have a printer.I print things at the library.Should I keep all these receipts.Will it al lbe tax detuctable?x

[Pauline]

I dont have a printer.I print things at the library.Should I keep all these receipts.Will it al lbe tax detuctable?x

I would if I were you, I'm sure it would be acceptable.

[bunyip]

Strictly speaking, HMRC want us to calculate the %age use of everything that is for childminding. So, if you use 80% of ink for CM work, you claim 80% of the cost of each cartridge. Likewise, you're meant to somehow calculate the %age of time the mindees will play with a toy, set against the time your own children play with it.

On a practical level, I think they realise this is hardly possible.

[rickysmiths]

I calculate % use and claim that % for all the ink and paper bought. I don't see how you can justify putting 100% of the paper and ink if it isn't all used for childminding. It doesn't have to be spot on. In this house 50% is for my childminding, 25% is for dh school and church and 25% is for the two children.

[Chatterbox Childcare]

When you do your printing start with a fresh ream of paper and see how much you use

Have you thought about putting the presentation on a memory stick instead - it may be cheaper?

[aly]

I have 2 printers...solves this lol

[Lilylulu]

We claim all printer costs as its probably 99% childminding stuff anyway, you can just use a reasonable estimate of your usage. We use pogo photos for learning journal, print them out regularly as we go along and parents gets to see them when they are fresh and see 'next steps planning' when its relevant.
With regard to other photos, I put them all on a DVD about every 6 months and send them home, the parents treasure these dvds, and several said they usually have a little cry when they see them. The DVDs take time to put together but the kids join in, even the littlies, love looking at their photos and we choose which music they like to put on. The cost of a DVD is about 20p, we put it in a CD case and their little one designs a cover for it, resulting a priceless present which speaks volumes about your good practice and evidences all the fun and learning that happens in your setting.

[wendywu]

[

QUOTE=rickysmiths;1127071]I calculate % use and claim that % for all the ink and paper bought. I don't see how you can justify putting 100% of the paper and ink if it isn't all used for childminding. It doesn't have to be spot on. In this house 50% is for my childminding, 25% is for dh school and church and 25% is for the two children.

[/QUOTE]

Rickysmiths you are too honest for your own good.

I admit i put all mine through

[MrAnchovy]

Rickysmiths you are too honest for your own good.

I admit i put all mine through

Actually it is in your interest to make a fair assessment of any private consumption of resources paid for by the business - if you are inspected, HMRC will find it much easier to challenge the 'big ticket' items if they can point to other areas where there is clearly some private use but you have not allowed for any.

Note that this does not necessarily mean that you should do a private use apportionment for items that are not consumed in use - toys in particular are usually wholly allowable as any private use is considered incidental and so no apportionment is required, even in theory. To look at this another way, if you owned some Lego for your mindees to use it would be nonsensical to buy separate Lego for your own children, but it would be quite feasible for you to have a separate printer ink cartridge.

[pinkellifun]

I have 2 printers: one colour inkjet and one b&W laser. I've decided to do 50% on the laser and 90% on the colour (as I did buy the colour specifically for childminding use but have used it a bit for personal). I hope that's acceptable as I've not other way of working it out.

[clairelou]

I put every other cartridge and ream of paper through childminding and the other through the holiday cottage business, for us i think that is about right