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Tom Copeland

St. Paul, Minnesota

Writer, trainer, advocate on the business of family child care

Interests: reading, Mark Twain

Recent Activity

Show Off Your Family Child Care Home with a Video Tour

Why are some parents nervous about enrolling their child in a family child care home? It could be because they don't know what is behind your front door. The inside of your home is an unknown to them. Is it safe for their child? Who else lives there? To help... Continue reading

Posted yesterday at Tom Copeland's Taking Care of Business

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When Natural Disasters Hit Home

Natural disasters are in the forefront of news again. It's hard to watch these tragedies unfold on such a regular basis over the last few years. We all mourn over the loss of life, injuries and property damage. We are especially concerned when a natural disaster hits a family child... Continue reading

Posted 3 days ago at Tom Copeland's Taking Care of Business

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The Basics of a Parent-Provider Contract

As a family child care provider you are generally free to put whatever you want in your parent contract. There are two exceptions: Some state child care licensing rules define what should be in your contract, so check with your local child care licensor before finalizing your agreement. Federal anti-discrimination... Continue reading

Posted May 17, 2013 at Tom Copeland's Taking Care of Business

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Retirement Quiz

Most family child care providers, like most taxpayers, are not saving enough for their retirement. Many do not have a good understanding of how to plan for their retirement. Test your retirement knowledge by taking this short quiz. 1) Social Security payments will replace approximately what percentage of the current... Continue reading

Posted May 15, 2013 at Tom Copeland's Taking Care of Business

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May 15th is Filing Deadline for Family Child Care Associations

IRS rules require all family child care organizations who collect revenue to file an annual information return (Form 990 or Form 990N). This rule affects all family child care associations, whether or not they have a tax-exempt status. It affects an association even if the association is not required to... Continue reading

Posted May 10, 2013 at Tom Copeland's Taking Care of Business

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Managing Your Money to Meet Short-Term Goals Webinar Rescheduled- May 30st

Change of Date! Due to an illness we had to reschedule my webinar on Managing Your Money to Meet Short-Term Goals to May 30th, 8:30pm Eastern time. True or False? "Setting financial goals for your family is only important if you have already saved a lot of money." "A good... Continue reading

Posted May 10, 2013 at Tom Copeland's Taking Care of Business

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What You Should Know About Unemployment Insurance

Here are some questions and answers for family child care providers about unemployment insurance: "Can I claim unemployment benefits for myself?" No. The vast majority of family child care providers are self-employed (sole proprietor). As a self-employed business you don't pay a federal or state unemployment tax so you are... Continue reading

Posted May 9, 2013 at Tom Copeland's Taking Care of Business

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Questions and Answers About Union Organizing in Minnesota

The AFSCME union has introduced a bill (Senate bill #778, House bill #0950) in the Minnesota legislature that would allow family child care providers to vote on whether they wanted a union to represent them. It is currently being heard in committees. Although this is only an issue for family... Continue reading

Posted May 7, 2013 at Tom Copeland's Taking Care of Business

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IRS Tax Court Accepts a Time-Space Percentage of 93%

“I have goose bumps! I just want to jump up and down!” So said Jeannie Peoples, a family child care provider from Curwensville, Pennsylvania, upon hearing that she owed the IRS $4,466. The reason she was so happy is because her original auditor determined that she owed over $37,000 in... Continue reading

Posted May 3, 2013 at Tom Copeland's Taking Care of Business

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Provider Appreciation Day is May 10th!

Started in 1996 by a group of volunteers in New Jersey, Provider Appreciation Day is appropriately celebrated each year the Friday before Mother's Day. This year it is on Friday, May 10th. The founding organizers saw the need to recognize the tireless efforts of providers who care for the children... Continue reading

Posted May 1, 2013 at Tom Copeland's Taking Care of Business

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When is it Safe for Your Association to Help a Parent Find Child Care?

As a family child care provider you want to fill any openings in your program as soon as possible. This means you want as many parent referrals as you can get from your local Child Care Resource and Referral Agency. These agencies offer a wide variety of programs and services... Continue reading

Posted Apr 29, 2013 at Tom Copeland's Taking Care of Business

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IRS Expands Relief to Providers Who Hire Assistants

When you pay someone to help you care for children in your family child care business are you treating them as an employee or an independent contractor? Except for a few narrow exceptions, you should be treating them as employees. This is true regardless of how little you paid them... Continue reading

Posted Apr 25, 2013 at Tom Copeland's Taking Care of Business

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Should You Hire Your Child Who is Age 18 + or Your Husband?

The simple answer for a family child care provider is - only in a few unique situations. If you pay your own child who is age 18 or older or if you pay your husband to do work for your business you must treat them as your employee. This means... Continue reading

Posted Apr 23, 2013 at Tom Copeland's Taking Care of Business

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I Made a Mistake on My Tax Return - Should I Amend it?

Tax season is finally over. Yet, you now realize you made a mistake when filing your taxes. Should you amend your tax return? As a family child care provider you shouldn't hesitate to amend your return. Your chances of being audited do not increase when you amend. Don't be shy... Continue reading

Posted Apr 22, 2013 at Tom Copeland's Taking Care of Business

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Tom Copeland Talks About New Tax Rules on Bam Radio Network

I recently taped a radio interview on "New Tax Rules for Providers" in which I discussed changes in tax rules for 2012 and 2013. You can listen to the ten minute interview here. For 2013 I discuss the standard mileage rate, standard meal allowance rate, 50% bonus depreciation rule, and... Continue reading

Posted Apr 10, 2013 at Tom Copeland's Taking Care of Business

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April 16th Webinar - Legal Issues

Can you refuse to provide care to a child who has epilepsy because you are afraid that you won't know what to do if the child has a seizure? Should you incorporate your business to reduce the risks of a lawsuit by a parent? Can you refuse to let the... Continue reading

Posted Apr 8, 2013 at Tom Copeland's Taking Care of Business

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Early Bird Registration Ends June 8th for NAFCC Annual Conference

Join me in Scotsdale, Arizona July 18-20th for the annual conference of the National Association for Family Child Care. A discounted early bird registration deal ends June 8th. See details. I'll be presenting two pre-conference train-the-trainer seminars Thursday the 18th on: Successful Strategies for Marketing Your Business and Mastering Record... Continue reading

Posted Apr 6, 2013 at Tom Copeland's Taking Care of Business

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How to Hire Your Own Children Under Age 18

There are advantages to hiring your own children under age 18 to help you with your family child care business. But, there are also pitfalls you want to avoid so you won't run into trouble with the IRS. First, the advantages: * Your children can reduce your workload by helping... Continue reading

Posted Apr 5, 2013 at Tom Copeland's Taking Care of Business

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Estimated Taxes Due April 15th

April 15th is the deadline for family child care providers to file your federal estimated tax payment for the first quarter of 2013. This comes as a shock to some child care providers because it's the same deadline for paying your 2012 taxes. Most child care providers do not need... Continue reading

Posted Apr 4, 2013 at Tom Copeland's Taking Care of Business

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I Don't Think I Can File My Taxes by April 15! What Can I Do?

It's almost April 15th and you haven't filed your family child care tax return yet. Don't panic. If you need more time you can file for a six month extension. Sometimes child care providers need more time to calculate their depreciation deductions, sort out their records, or deal with a... Continue reading

Posted Mar 28, 2013 at Tom Copeland's Taking Care of Business

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Four Tax Questions Answered

The April 15th tax deadline is almost upon us. Here are some tax questions I've received from family child care providers recently: 1) Can I deduct my monthly mortgage payment? No. You can deduct your mortgage interest on IRS Form 8829 Expenses for Business Use of Your Home, line 10,... Continue reading

Posted Mar 25, 2013 at Tom Copeland's Taking Care of Business

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Links to Business Resources

I've created a new Resources section on my blog where you can find links to a variety of organizations that can help you become more successful as a business. There are four key organizations that every family child care provider should be connected to: * Child Care Resource & Referral... Continue reading

Posted Mar 22, 2013 at Tom Copeland's Taking Care of Business

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How to Depreciate Your Home

Every family child care provider who owns a home should depreciate it and claim a substantial tax deduction. I've written a previous article about why you should never listen to anyone tell you not to depreciate your home. Here's a summary of how to depreciate your home broken down into... Continue reading

Posted Mar 21, 2013 at Tom Copeland's Taking Care of Business

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It's Not Too Late to Contribute to Your IRA for 2012

One of the biggest tax breaks available to family child care providers is the Individual Retirement Account (IRA). When you put money into an IRA for 2012 it will reduce your 2012 taxable income. You won't have to pay tax on it (along with the interest you earned) until you... Continue reading

Posted Mar 19, 2013 at Tom Copeland's Taking Care of Business

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Why Quality Rating & Improvement Systems Are Good For All Family Child Care Providers

Today Paula, a typical parent, is looking for child care for her new baby. She wants a high quality program that will enable her child to be ready for school. With so many child care programs to choose from, how can she find the best program for her child? It’s... Continue reading

Posted Mar 15, 2013 at Tom Copeland's Taking Care of Business

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