Cleaning products and food

[NicoleW]

I do not buy the childminding food seperate from my own, same with cleaning products. It's just not viable to do so.


Can I, for example, claim back say 80% of my shopping. I have 6 mindees and two of my own children, I take things off like toiletries for us, anything that the kids will never have, add all that up and put 80% of it down as an expense which will leave some left over for what my own children use?

[moggy]

If you are working it out that way you also need to allow for some of the shopping being for the weekend, for your own guests and any days/meals the mindees are not there for (are they all having breakfast?) and other items on the bill which are not directly for the children (so maybe some cleaning materials/toiletries which you only use for your family or a bathroom mindees don't use?). Sound a tricky way to work it out.

I usually see it being done from the basis of what it costs to make an average meal/snack, rather than as a % of your supermarket bill, that is how NCMA accounts book explain it too. So you look at a typical meal- cost the ingredients and divide by the potions. Snacks are easier to cost- price of a banana etc. Then add up per child per day so child A might have 2x snacks at 50p each, 1x hot meal at £1.50, 1x sandwich meal at £1 etc etc

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I disagree with Moggy. You just have to show a "reasonable" way of working it out. I had a business advisor from the tax office advise me to do the following:

Take your receipt and deduct all 100% home and business use off. Take the balance and divide it by the number of mindees that eat in that week (the amount of times is irrlevant) plus your family giving you a per head figure, this you multiply by the number of mindees. You then put through 100% of the childminding purchases. If I brought food for a mindee and they didn't come due to sickness I would still include this in my number as I have already incurred the cost. It doesn't matter whether a mindee comes for an hour, a day or a month, and you don't have to take into account weekends either, unless that is champagne and caviar Don't think you will get away with that

All my food is available to both mindees and my family so I just deduct what is 100% family use.

If you have the same numbers all the time, just keep your receipts and do the calculations in bundles, monthly, quarterly etc...

[Chatterbox Childcare]

If you are working it out that way you also need to allow for some of the shopping being for the weekend, for your own guests and any days/meals the mindees are not there for (are they all having breakfast?) and other items on the bill which are not directly for the children (so maybe some cleaning materials/toiletries which you only use for your family or a bathroom mindees don't use?). Sound a tricky way to work it out.

I usually see it being done from the basis of what it costs to make an average meal/snack, rather than as a % of your supermarket bill, that is how NCMA accounts book explain it too. So you look at a typical meal- cost the ingredients and divide by the potions. Snacks are easier to cost- price of a banana etc. Then add up per child per day so child A might have 2x snacks at 50p each, 1x hot meal at £1.50, 1x sandwich meal at £1 etc etc

I used to do things this way but over the last 2 years food prices have sky rocketed and it takes me less time to use the receipt than to price a meal - I was losing money this way

[MrAnchovy]

I do not buy the childminding food seperate from my own, same with cleaning products. It's just not viable to do so.


Can I, for example, claim back say 80% of my shopping. I have 6 mindees and two of my own children, I take things off like toiletries for us, anything that the kids will never have, add all that up and put 80% of it down as an expense which will leave some left over for what my own children use?

Different concessions apply for food and other items.

"Reasonable estimates for the costs of food and drink provided for the children being cared for are acceptable". So for food and drink if 80% of what you spend is a reasonable estimate that is OK: I don't know how you got to 80% but given that your mindees probably don't eat all the meals you and your children eat each week and even if they did 6/9 is only 67% it sounds a bit high to me.

For items that are only for childminding such as nappies you can claim 100%

For other items (cleaning materials, toilet roll etc.) you can claim "expenses which are reasonable in amount and which are directly attributable to childminding". In your case this is in practice the same as the food calculation.

[NicoleW]

Different concessions apply for food and other items.

"Reasonable estimates for the costs of food and drink provided for the children being cared for are acceptable". So for food and drink if 80% of what you spend is a reasonable estimate that is OK: I don't know how you got to 80% but given that your mindees probably don't eat all the meals you and your children eat each week and even if they did 6/9 is only 67% it sounds a bit high to me.

For items that are only for childminding such as nappies you can claim 100%

For other items (cleaning materials, toilet roll etc.) you can claim "expenses which are reasonable in amount and which are directly attributable to childminding". In your case this is in practice the same as the food calculation.

80% was just an example.

I provide breakfast lunch and dinner Monday to Friday for 4 children and I have two extra that are my own children.

It's really confusing.. I'll be looking for an accountant I think as of April : (

[NicoleW]

And two snacks of course and drinks

[ChocolateChip]

For food I have worked out what each meal costs roughly, and then I just add it all up for each child. I have one rate for under 5's and a higher one for schoolies. Then I just add up the costs of what each child has each day and total it up every month on the back of their attendance sheet and transfer it to my accounts records.
Sounds complicated but it really doesn't take that long

Just to say I do review the costs every few months to make sure it's still inline.

[Chatterbox Childcare]

For food I have worked out what each meal costs roughly, and then I just add it all up for each child. I have one rate for under 5's and a higher one for schoolies. Then I just add up the costs of what each child has each day and total it up every month on the back of their attendance sheet and transfer it to my accounts records.
Sounds complicated but it really doesn't take that long

Just to say I do review the costs every few months to make sure it's still inline.

and make sure it is not more than your actual receipts! sounds daft but it did happen to me on an occasion when working out a "per meal" cost

[hectors house]

Don't forget to claim for cling film - I get through loads as I dish up the childrens meals straight into their bowls when I am dishing up my main evening meal, cover in cling film and put in fridge - 3 or 4 meals each day uses lots of cling film!

[13Katrina]

Following on from this thread.

My family consists of me, DH, DD1 age 9 and DD2 age 1. DH works away Monday-Thursday, DD1 has 50% of her meals provided by me (the other 50% by her father as we share her exactly 50% of the time) and DD2 is always at home. I currently have one mindee who is 8 months old, she attends one day per week and has 3 meals/2 snacks. So, how do I work it out?!!

Chatterbox - I like how you do it but not sure how that would apply to me!!! x

[mum24]

and make sure it is not more than your actual receipts! sounds daft but it did happen to me on an occasion when working out a "per meal" cost

That is so funny, I could imagine it happening to me, maths not being my best subject. In fact - I think maybe I should check next time I am doing the figures

[MrAnchovy]

My family consists of me, DH, DD1 age 9 and DD2 age 1. DH works away Monday-Thursday, DD1 has 50% of her meals provided by me (the other 50% by her father as we share her exactly 50% of the time) and DD2 is always at home. I currently have one mindee who is 8 months old, she attends one day per week and has 3 meals/2 snacks. So, how do I work it out?!!

Keep a record of the cost of everything you provide for the mindee to eat. This can be a reasonable estimate if for instance you make a big cauliflower cheese for the family and she has some reheated the next day.

[Chatterbox Childcare]

Following on from this thread.

My family consists of me, DH, DD1 age 9 and DD2 age 1. DH works away Monday-Thursday, DD1 has 50% of her meals provided by me (the other 50% by her father as we share her exactly 50% of the time) and DD2 is always at home. I currently have one mindee who is 8 months old, she attends one day per week and has 3 meals/2 snacks. So, how do I work it out?!!

Chatterbox - I like how you do it but not sure how that would apply to me!!! x

I would divide my bill by 5 and = 20%

[13Katrina]

Thanks Chatterbox.

That's really helpful. So I basically take off 100% household expense first, and 100% mindee expense, then 20% of what is left is a food cost then add back on the childminding expense?

So if I had four mindees (taking into account there are four people in my family), I'd put through 50% as a food cost? x

[Belly2009]

I disagree with Moggy. You just have to show a "reasonable" way of working it out. I had a business advisor from the tax office advise me to do the following:

Take your receipt and deduct all 100% home and business use off. Take the balance and divide it by the number of mindees that eat in that week (the amount of times is irrlevant) plus your family giving you a per head figure, this you multiply by the number of mindees. You then put through 100% of the childminding purchases. If I brought food for a mindee and they didn't come due to sickness I would still include this in my number as I have already incurred the cost. It doesn't matter whether a mindee comes for an hour, a day or a month, and you don't have to take into account weekends either, unless that is champagne and caviar Don't think you will get away with that

All my food is available to both mindees and my family so I just deduct what is 100% family use.

If you have the same numbers all the time, just keep your receipts and do the calculations in bundles, monthly, quarterly etc...

Sorry im being dumb. What do u mean by take ur receipt and take off 100% home and business use off ?

[Chatterbox Childcare]

Sorry im being dumb. What do u mean by take ur receipt and take off 100% home and business use off ?

If you have a bill for £100 you would take off beer, wine, clothing - anything that is not allowable

If you take off £10 for a highchair that is 100% childminding - claim all this

The balance you work your food out on

[Belly2009]

If you have a bill for £100 you would take off beer, wine, clothing - anything that is not allowable

If you take off £10 for a highchair that is 100% childminding - claim all this

The balance you work your food out on

I get you now!! That might just be easier

[rosebud]

I put through a set amount per meal - £1 for breakfast, £2.50 for hot meal, £2 for sandwich meal, £1 for baby meal etc but nothing extra for snacks or drinks - (I include these in the estimated cost of a meal) The amounts are based on costings of a set range of example meals but I don't keep my receipts. I have done it this way for years, please someone tell me thats ok!

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I put through a set amount per meal - £1 for breakfast, £2.50 for hot meal, £2 for sandwich meal, £1 for baby meal etc but nothing extra for snacks or drinks - (I include these in the estimated cost of a meal) The amounts are based on costings of a set range of example meals but I don't keep my receipts. I have done it this way for years, please someone tell me thats ok!

As long as you can show how you got your figures then it is fine. If you are preparing food you do need to keep your receipts for Environmental Food Agency but your local council will specify how long