How much do you earn and how much do you end up declaring?????

trunky I do my milage on Google maps but in your post code and the destination post code will give you the milage. get water proof trousers and jackets from tchibo, really worth it, and easier to get off for the potty.

Yep UV suits are great and bought in Sainsburys sale so only £4 each!! I'm aiming to get all in one waterproofs for the winter as well, as I cannot stand being stuck indoors and am tired of desperately trying to wash and dry mindees clothes before parents arrive so they don't see how truly filthy their loved ones get every day!!!

Thanks looney! Found it in the end, didn't find mention of a cleaner tho I don't think I can be claiming enough for stuff generally, as I only traded for 6 months 06/07, and still ended up paying tax. I had 2 full timers @50 hours each and an after schoolie for 8 hrs a week!!
I know that I am not claiming enough for petrol as I just find it really hard to guage mileage as all distances are really short and if the weather is ok I would rather walk to be honest. Also haven't claimed for broadband, cleaning products or toilet rolls (how on earth do you work out useage for that!! I am getting concerned now as next year will be a full year and I have another mindee enrolled which will be another 15 hours a week. I aim to buy a trampoline soon and possibly a swingset (if I can fit both in the garden) Guess I'm going to have to start saving a bit every month for the tax man though!!

trunkybun, I'm first in line at Matalan each year for UV suits, the best invention yet

Right, just done a search and lot of small threads but this one is good as has lists and lists of things you can claim......

www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=2300&threadid=287686#5761573

trunkybun - can't remember where the list is but been several threads so maybe try doing a search? I'd be surprised about you paying out for tax in your first year, even if you did start straight away with 2 full timers. I started straight away with 4 mindees, right in the summer hols, 2 of which were pretty much full time but I had a lot of expenses and so didn't pay any tax.

Hi, very interesting thread!! I think someone mentioned a list of things we can claim for, where would I find that?
This is my first year minding, and I will pay some tax (only about £140) but then I did start straight away with 2 full timers. I am intrigued that we may be able to claim for a cleaner?? I despair at the state of my house and have been trying to think of ways of saving enough to pay one!! Like Shoshable I provide the parents of my full timers with all food/nappies etc and have just bought UV suits for them to save me panicking about sunburn etc

I am in line with other minders in our area we all charge £2.50p.h , also have never had all my spaces full, so no wonder I am not making profits over the taxable threshold.

Lunavix, sorry to hear about your split Will send you an email. As for tax, I've only done one year so far and not needed to pay tax but not sure about this year, I'm not really able to help with that one apart from claim everything you can!!!

I only really worked p/t last year - so if I did more I'd have earnt more (& paid less wages) - but it was nice having the time off

ali, average cost here is 3.25 a hour so balot of difference.

I know I am not doing anything wrong, - I am amazed at how little tax some of you pay! I have paid tax since I started minding 21 years ago.

I am doing everything by the book, I had £10k of expenses last year, roughly a third of my income, which is the rule of thumb expected percentage.

I do pay higher rate tax. and I don't complain about it , childminding paid my childrens school fees for 10 years.

I can only think that some of you have a very small gross income, I do live in an expensive are where childminders are in demand. Most charge a minimum of £5 an hour and I support new minders who are charging £6, one charges £7!

Some people really do n t want to use a nursery for their baby, so are prepared to pay the high rate. A nursery here is £58.75 a day.

well what is alibubbles doing wrong then?

I did get the impression that it was a very good deal judging by minders round here...even better if you rent your property then

I pay so little tax I barely make it over the threshold, I also would rather have high expenses than a high tax bill. It means I have lots of lovely resources for the kids, and I too am very thorough making sure I put everything on expenses that is allowable. Childminders have lots of things we can put on expenses that other professions cannot so I guess in that way we are lucky.

Or if you dont have children of your home at home so you can claim fot all the childrens touys

Not unless you have a room used soley for childminding

I used to work for the IR so I put every penny I earn through the books - They would be down on me like a tonne of bricks if I tried to cheat

We have very generous allowances for Tax plus we don't have any childcare costs of our own

We dont pay capital gains either because although can claim a portion of rent we cant of mortgage.

Not for Childminder Zip we are allowed the expenses, and although we own two flats we dont live in them we live in Army Quarters.

meaning i thought they were clamping down on claiming against tax by clawing back re household expenses like utilities

interesting...do uou own your own house..the potential downside being that you would have to pay capital gains tax on a proportion of the eventual sale

I earn just under the tax limit, but you have to remember we get 40p per mile for petrol, so I get more for the petrol than it costs, I can claim for my cleaner, my car to be valet, things that make up my earnings to alot more than that.

I can claim for my carpet cleaner, my first dishwasher, as the taxman was happy with the reason I claimed, enviromental health, sugessted I had one, (there is usually only me herer DH is away alot so why would I want one)

I can claim a tenth of my heating, rent, lighting, water council tax,

ten percent of all I earn is claimed as wear and tear, I can claim 10 percent of sky tv, tv license, I claim for all the paper and ink for office PC and half the internet.

The hidden allowences make the difference.

but what do you live on? you rely on your partners wages? ie if childminding doesn't pay you any earnings

No def not a charity I earn a decent income, and give a good service with a lot of resources for my mindees what is wrong with that.

Zip I also feed all my children and dont charge parents for food, as if you do you then cant put it against your tax, we go out three times a wek, swimming, soft play and music, again I pay for all outings and put it on my expenses.

They only thing my parents provide is baby milk.

Also the year I earned a Huge amount (alot of over 8's for the holidays. never again!!!!) I bought some waterproof trousers and jackets for my under 55's as parents always forget them and it meant we couldnt go out, things like that. Anything better than giving it to the taxman.

so you operate as a charity and community resource rather than needing an income?

that is very admirable and altruistic...