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JunieBJones (JBJ)

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My first question:
Do any of you WRITE OFF pest control? I know one innkeeper in GA is required to have mandatory pest control for their health dept permit.
 
If I did pest control (other than a couple of mouse traps) then yes, I would write it off as a business expense, especially if you have to have it.
 
If you have to do pest control to maintain the structure, it definitely should be a business expense. If there is evidence of termites for instance, if Terminex is not on speed dial you could be considered negligent if the porch or the steps suddenly fell off.
And in the case of required by the Health Dept - no question it IS a business expense.
 
In our log home and cabins, we have bouts with carpenter ants, so we are under contract with orkin. We count the percentage of the bill for our cabins as a business expense when determining our net income.
 
After all is said and done, all my extra marketing and hard work - throw a spanner into the mix of the recession/economy and we ended up making (room rates) an addtl $1400 in 2008 over the prev year. Altho we have nothing more to show from it - as it all gets routed right back into this dinosaur - we can still smile and enjoy our grilled cheese a'plenty.
regular_smile.gif

When you go back through allllllllllll those recpts and recall situations that ocurred that are now behind you (health and family life etc) it is good to be here. "Innkeeping isn't for sissies." sigh
 
we had problems with paper wasps ... they actually stung two children. thankfully, the family all accepted my help, my first aid and my pizza as compensation!
but those wasps built a basketball size nest way up near the top of the building. so i had the pest control company come twice with sprayers plus the nest removal episode.
last year, it was skunks. trap and release.
 
ABSOLUTELY if it is an expense for the business. then you should be able to claim it...well at least part of it..since you live there as well. Ask your tax preparer, I am sure you can get at least partial.
 
QUESTION #2:
Do you go rcpt by rcpt for food expenses or do you pick a dollar amt and make THAT the amt per guest that you use as the expense allocated for meals?
ie $8 per guest x # of guests = food expense
Also,
If you don't mind sharing, what $ amount do you feel is adequate. I do not think $5 per guest works anymore since everything has gone up - including the cost of gas to buy said food.
Would you say use the figures from last year and go up 25%?
 
QUESTION #2:
Do you go rcpt by rcpt for food expenses or do you pick a dollar amt and make THAT the amt per guest that you use as the expense allocated for meals?
ie $8 per guest x # of guests = food expense
Also,
If you don't mind sharing, what $ amount do you feel is adequate. I do not think $5 per guest works anymore since everything has gone up - including the cost of gas to buy said food.
Would you say use the figures from last year and go up 25%?.
I have no idea how she does it. I give my tax guru a printout of my checking account with everything grouped into the correct category, my total revenue amount from my guest ledger, etc., and my mileage. She works it from there and does very well by me - she works it and then reworks if she questions anything so I get the best deal that is honest and correct because her name goes on it also. One thing I will NOT do is cheat on taxes. Only politicians can get away with doing that.
 
QUESTION #2:
Do you go rcpt by rcpt for food expenses or do you pick a dollar amt and make THAT the amt per guest that you use as the expense allocated for meals?
ie $8 per guest x # of guests = food expense
Also,
If you don't mind sharing, what $ amount do you feel is adequate. I do not think $5 per guest works anymore since everything has gone up - including the cost of gas to buy said food.
Would you say use the figures from last year and go up 25%?.
hmmmmm.....I go by receipts. For those of you who don't, you might want to rethink what you write on this public forum about it.
cry_smile.gif

 
QUESTION #2:
Do you go rcpt by rcpt for food expenses or do you pick a dollar amt and make THAT the amt per guest that you use as the expense allocated for meals?
ie $8 per guest x # of guests = food expense
Also,
If you don't mind sharing, what $ amount do you feel is adequate. I do not think $5 per guest works anymore since everything has gone up - including the cost of gas to buy said food.
Would you say use the figures from last year and go up 25%?.
hmmmmm.....I go by receipts. For those of you who don't, you might want to rethink what you write on this public forum about it.
cry_smile.gif

.
NW BB said:
hmmmmm.....I go by receipts. For those of you who don't, you might want to rethink what you write on this public forum about it.
cry_smile.gif
I guarantee my rcpts show AT LEAST the minimum I will be putting on my taxes for food for guests. I have every rcpt right here.
 
QUESTION #2:
Do you go rcpt by rcpt for food expenses or do you pick a dollar amt and make THAT the amt per guest that you use as the expense allocated for meals?
ie $8 per guest x # of guests = food expense
Also,
If you don't mind sharing, what $ amount do you feel is adequate. I do not think $5 per guest works anymore since everything has gone up - including the cost of gas to buy said food.
Would you say use the figures from last year and go up 25%?.
hmmmmm.....I go by receipts. For those of you who don't, you might want to rethink what you write on this public forum about it.
cry_smile.gif

.
NW BB said:
hmmmmm.....I go by receipts. For those of you who don't, you might want to rethink what you write on this public forum about it.
cry_smile.gif
I guarantee my rcpts show AT LEAST the minimum I will be putting on my taxes for food for guests. I have every rcpt right here.
.
JunieBJones (JBJ) said:
NW BB said:
hmmmmm.....I go by receipts. For those of you who don't, you might want to rethink what you write on this public forum about it.
cry_smile.gif
I guarantee my rcpts show AT LEAST the minimum I will be putting on my taxes for food for guests. I have every rcpt right here.
You know that Cathy cartoon where she has the shoebox full of receipts for the accountant? That's me. I know they should be sorted by 'category' but I'm not the bookkeeper so I keep my nose out of it! As long as all the receipts are in the box, they can be found if need be!
 
QUESTION #2:
Do you go rcpt by rcpt for food expenses or do you pick a dollar amt and make THAT the amt per guest that you use as the expense allocated for meals?
ie $8 per guest x # of guests = food expense
Also,
If you don't mind sharing, what $ amount do you feel is adequate. I do not think $5 per guest works anymore since everything has gone up - including the cost of gas to buy said food.
Would you say use the figures from last year and go up 25%?.
hmmmmm.....I go by receipts. For those of you who don't, you might want to rethink what you write on this public forum about it.
cry_smile.gif

.
That is why I use my checkbook. I have every receipt for every check. I forget about things I paid cash for - even if I have the receipt - by tax time I will forget I did it. I am too aware of that nasty a-word to ever claim anything that I do not have a receipt for. I also claim every penny of income.
 
QUESTION #2:
Do you go rcpt by rcpt for food expenses or do you pick a dollar amt and make THAT the amt per guest that you use as the expense allocated for meals?
ie $8 per guest x # of guests = food expense
Also,
If you don't mind sharing, what $ amount do you feel is adequate. I do not think $5 per guest works anymore since everything has gone up - including the cost of gas to buy said food.
Would you say use the figures from last year and go up 25%?.
Receipt by receipt. not just for food...cleaning supplies anything thing that is non-durable goods.
 
QUESTION #2:
Do you go rcpt by rcpt for food expenses or do you pick a dollar amt and make THAT the amt per guest that you use as the expense allocated for meals?
ie $8 per guest x # of guests = food expense
Also,
If you don't mind sharing, what $ amount do you feel is adequate. I do not think $5 per guest works anymore since everything has gone up - including the cost of gas to buy said food.
Would you say use the figures from last year and go up 25%?.
Receipt by receipt. not just for food...cleaning supplies anything thing that is non-durable goods.
.
US TOO! Receipt Kings
 
Receipt by receipt for everything... and I dislike using cash because then I have to track it even more closely, but that's the only way to get fresh local brown eggs.
As far as food taxes, I'm figuring $5 or $5.50 (I forget) in expenses, but I won't know what they actually were until I sit down and do my taxes in a week or two. I suppose if they are a lot higher then I may change that amount, but it's arbitrary anyway.
As far as the pest control it would either be a percentage (like the percentage of electricity bill), or all... the measure I use is whether I would have done it if I didn't have a business. I would have heat whether or not I had a B&B, so that one I go by percentage. I would not normally have hired the snow removal (just a one time thing when we had 8" and a full house), so to me that's 100% deductible.
=)
Kk.
 
Receipt by receipt for everything... and I dislike using cash because then I have to track it even more closely, but that's the only way to get fresh local brown eggs.
As far as food taxes, I'm figuring $5 or $5.50 (I forget) in expenses, but I won't know what they actually were until I sit down and do my taxes in a week or two. I suppose if they are a lot higher then I may change that amount, but it's arbitrary anyway.
As far as the pest control it would either be a percentage (like the percentage of electricity bill), or all... the measure I use is whether I would have done it if I didn't have a business. I would have heat whether or not I had a B&B, so that one I go by percentage. I would not normally have hired the snow removal (just a one time thing when we had 8" and a full house), so to me that's 100% deductible.
=)
Kk..
Since we had 2/3 of the house listed at the assessor's office as business (mainly for the taxes), 2/3 of all utilities etc are deductible. so I do not even have to think about that part.
 
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