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Dear Savvy Doula,

Okay, I admit that I am still doing my 2007 taxes. My extension was filed on time, and now my CPA is knocking, telling me it’s time to get my act together so the return will be ready by next month. I’ve SLOWLY been getting it all done, and all I can say is that I am so appreciative of Quickbooks and bank and credit cards with online access. The power of downloading can’t be beat when doing your bookkeeping. 2008 taxes should be filed on time next year!

I thought I’d share a list of deductible expenses today for your business. It’s by no means comprehensive, but maybe there are some items that you haven’t thought of:

• Books – required reading for certification, your doula library, professional development
• Educational aids for use during prenatal/postpartum
• Clothing and shoes purchased for use at births
• Business cards and stationery
• Advertising and Marketing fees
• Cell phone expenses
• Business phone line expenses
• Office supplies
• Copying services
• Meals and/or Beverages at client interviews
• Meals with professional colleagues for networking purposes
• Fees to networking events
• Food and supplies that you take to a birth
• Certifying Doula organization and other professional membership dues
• Professional publication subscriptions
• Percentage of Internet and Utility fees used in the home (I highly recommend tax advice on deducting use of your home and utitlities for business)
• Website fees – hosting, domain, online subscriptions for services tied to your website
• Fees paid to professionals for outsourced services (logo and website design, accounting, legal advice, business coaching, etc)
• Business mileage
• Interest and annual fees for business credit cards
• Bank fees for business bank account
• Software for use in business
• Parking and toll fees
• Conferences and Travel Expenses – conference fees, meals, flights, car rentals, hotel accommodations, tips, taxi fare
• Professional development training workshops – for your profession as well as courses that help you build your business
• Liability insurance

For more information from the tax man himself, visit the website for the Internal Revenue Service. They also offer a variety of opportunities to learn more about small business taxes, by DVD, streaming online video, phone/webinars and in-person classes. So, there’s really no excuse to not be more in the know about taxes for your small business. To find out more about specific business expenses, do a search on the IRS site for Publication 535 – Business Expenses.

I hope this will help you get organized for your 2008 taxes in this final quarter of the year. If you notice that I’ve missed some expenses, please add a comment below so we can all benefit! Okay, now I’ve got to get back to doing MY taxes.

With great appreciation for the important work that you do,

Darlene

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