Tax Strategies for Summer Daycare, Jobs and Vacation Rentals

Summer always comes to an end, but financial advisors, tax professionals and their clients can fondly remember the fun in the sun and big savings on the next tax day.

Day camp for children under 13 yearsa summer job for the children of our customers in the family business and Holiday accommodation can pile up credits, deductions and exemptions — meaning advisors and their clients could find a reason for a quick meeting between beach days and sunbathing. In addition to the more traditional summer activities, the season is a good time “to develop tax strategies that you can proactively implement,” said Jerel Butler, a financial planner at Philadelphia-based Zenith Wealth Partners.

“We like to meet with our clients every two years,” Butler said in an interview. “It gives us time to develop a strategy to overcome any tax hurdles. You don’t have to wait until it’s time to file taxes. You can do it the year before.”

READ MORE: 30 tax questions you need to answer by the end of the year

A break in the summer daycare

The child and dependent care tax credit comes with some very specific requirements, capping it at $3,000 for an individual or $6,000 for a couple. In addition to the child’s age restriction, the rules prohibit overnight camp costs from being excluded from the credit and cap the credit at 20% to 35% of eligible child care costs. While babysitting or child care costs are eligible, parents must be working or looking for a job during the time they leave their children under the supervision of others.

They also can’t pay a family member money for camp or babysitting, noted Les Williams, wealth strategist at RBC Wealth Management. The tax breaks are “a very valuable tax credit that they can claim,” but clients will need to work with their adviser or tax professional to sort out more complicated factors such as the special guidelines and how they relate to employee benefits such as flexible spending accounts, Williams said in an interview.

“This is something where you really need to work with your tax advisor to make sure you’re not violating any of the restrictions,” he said. “It can work. You just need to be very careful about it.”

As another example, Butler pointed out that the credit doesn’t apply to couples who file separate tax returns. If one parent has a dependent care FSA through their job, they could qualify for further savings through reimbursements of up to $5,000, he said.

“That’s a huge benefit because it comes back to you virtually tax-free,” Butler said. “Typically, that $5,000 is spread out over your paycheck for 12 months, but you don’t have to wait 12 months to use that $5,000.”

READ MORE: HSAs come with pitfalls – here’s how to avoid them

Tax relief for your child’s employment

Clients can save in many ways by employing their children in a family business, with the caveat that they must keep accurate records and provide them with permanent employment within the company.

Then the saving can begin. If the business owner’s child is under 18 and the business owner pays him or her up to $14,600 annually, the business owner does not have to pay taxes under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA), the child does not owe any income tax to the state, and the parents can deduct the wages from their profits as a business expense.

This creates “a really innovative strategy” for self-employed customers or other business owners, Butler said.

“As long as the child has no other income, he or she does not have to pay taxes,” he said. “The employer does not have to withhold FICA taxes and the child does not have to file a tax return.”

The wages can go into savings accounts such as a 529 plan or a Roth IRA account, Butler and Williams noted. The Roth IRA can lead to “years or decades of tax-free growth” in the child’s account, Williams said.

“First, your child is gaining work experience, which is great,” he said. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for children to learn responsible financial management.”

READ MORE: 24 tax tips for self-employed clients

Rent out your property and take your savings home

Vacation rentals through Airbnb, Vrbo, or independently of the popular services may provide customers with more tax options.

Homeowners – especially those living near the site of the Masters Golf Tournament — know that the high costs of buying a property with some tax strategy toolsFor example, the “Masters” or “Augusta” rule allows the owner to collect tax-free rent on any home that he does not use as his primary place of business for up to 14 days.

For properties that attract guests for more than two weeks a year, owners can deduct many types of expenses, Williams noted. He always advises his clients to get liability insurance and set up a limited liability company that receives the rental income. That effectively protects your assets from lawsuits from tenants, he said.

Owners who use Airbnb or Vrbo for short-term rentals can deduct cleaning costs, mortgage interest, insurance premiums and depreciation, according to Butler. While the customer makes money in practice, it doesn’t save them money when it comes to filing their taxes with Uncle Sam.

“Oftentimes this results in a loss of business,” Butler said. “You may end up paying less or no taxes related to your Airbnb business.”

Butler views summer not only as an opportunity to explore these three areas of potential savings, but also as a good time to think about next year’s filing season for employee benefits and tax deductions.

And Williams mentioned that teachers, who often do gig work or other summer jobs to supplement their income while paying out of pocket as they prepare for the next school year, should remember that they must report the additional pay to the government and should account for it the $300 deduction for educator expenses.

“I always encourage teachers to keep their receipts so they can take advantage of this deduction,” Williams said.