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Small business owners - would you expense this/write this off?

If you were to host a business related event at your home, and paid to have maid service prior, would you expense it?  If so, would you just expense the portion of the service that included areas that would be used for the event?

I'm trying to decide if this idea is somewhat shady or not... I really want to have the event here but I do NOT have time/energy to make the house ready.  (and sadly have not been able to convice DH into having regular maid service just because...)

Re: Small business owners - would you expense this/write this off?

  • Yes.  It is similar to a maint. fee associated with using another facility.  As far as portion, a light cleaning would be fine, but a comprehensive cleaning (blinds, baseboards, etc) would probably take it too far.
  • I am not writing this as a lawyer giving legal advice.  I am writing this as a friend who nests and doesn't own her own business but am guessing that...

    Cleaning costs can be written off, but if you intend to get your whole house cleaned then I would have the maid split the bill.  So, have them clean and give you a receipt for just the office, and then another for the rest of the house.  Make sure that the office cleaning is exclusively for the office. 

     

  • Yes I would. If you rented a facility, you'd pay a cleaning fee Smile That'd be my rationale
  • I would try and get the service to make a seperate bill for the area cleaned. It's better to be safe than sorry.

     

    On another note: I recently started having a maid come every other 2 weeks. She was a referral from a friend of mine and I love her. She was so reasonable. Literally half the cost that I'd been quoted with other services. She does a great job and does everything but laundry. If you decide to look into it further let me know and I can give you her name and phone number. She comes and goes in my house and uses the garage code to enter and leave. She has a key to my friends house but I don't even have a key for my own house Embarrassed....yeah I lose them and never replaced it on my keychain.

  • i'm pretty conservative about business expenses but i really do think that if you were to get audited, you could justify having the whole house cleaned. when people come to your home, they might wander into other rooms even where a door is closed, etc.

    maybe you have one bathroom easily accessible form the living room but what if its occupied and someone really has to go and wanders through your bedroom to the master bath for instance?

    you want to make a good impression as a business owner and therefore, i think its a reasonable expense?

  • imageflymansWife:
    imagegenniemg:

    I would try and get the service to make a seperate bill for the area cleaned. It's better to be safe than sorry.

    i'm pretty conservative about business expenses but i really do think that if you were to get audited, you could justify having the whole house cleaned. when people come to your home, they might wander into other rooms even where a door is closed, etc.

    maybe you have one bathroom easily accessible form the living room but what if its occupied and someone really has to go and wanders through your bedroom to the master bath for instance?

    you want to make a good impression as a business owner and therefore, i think its a reasonable expense?

    This was my thought too.  Within reason, I mean.  The event would take place in the entire downstairs minus the master suite, so I can def see writing off the entire downstairs cleaning.

    Insight, Mrs.Hoyt?

  • oh especially if your house is 2 stories, i totally think you can write off the whole first floor as a business expense. i think you could also write off a lawn service Smile
  • Hells yeah that's a legitimate business expense, and it doesn't have to be for just the office. It's an expense of hosting the event, for your business.

    Heck, I have ppl come to my house on a regular basis so when we have regular maid service that's a business expense too (actually, pretty much my entire house is a bus expense now, since I have Zee Toddler here).

  • imagegenniemg:

    I would try and get the service to make a seperate bill for the area cleaned. It's better to be safe than sorry.

    On another note: I recently started having a maid come every other 2 weeks. She was a referral from a friend of mine and I love her. She was so reasonable. Literally half the cost that I'd been quoted with other services. She does a great job and does everything but laundry. If you decide to look into it further let me know and I can give you her name and phone number. She comes and goes in my house and uses the garage code to enter and leave. She has a key to my friends house but I don't even have a key for my own house Embarrassed....yeah I lose them and never replaced it on my keychain.

    I would love that info! I'm looking for someone reasonable. Email me at my screen-name at gmail.com. Thanks!

  • imagetexansarah:
    imagegenniemg:

    I would try and get the service to make a seperate bill for the area cleaned. It's better to be safe than sorry.

    On another note: I recently started having a maid come every other 2 weeks. She was a referral from a friend of mine and I love her. She was so reasonable. Literally half the cost that I'd been quoted with other services. She does a great job and does everything but laundry. If you decide to look into it further let me know and I can give you her name and phone number. She comes and goes in my house and uses the garage code to enter and leave. She has a key to my friends house but I don't even have a key for my own house Embarrassed....yeah I lose them and never replaced it on my keychain.

    I would love that info! I'm looking for someone reasonable. Email me at my screen-name at gmail.com. Thanks!

    Sent

  • On another note: I recently started having a maid come every other 2 weeks. She was a referral from a friend of mine and I love her. She was so reasonable. Literally half the cost that I'd been quoted with other services. She does a great job and does everything but laundry. If you decide to look into it further let me know and I can give you her name and phone number. She comes and goes in my house and uses the garage code to enter and leave. She has a key to my friends house but I don't even have a key for my own house Embarrassed....yeah I lose them and never replaced it on my keychain.

    Be careful about that no key thing. If the power goes out you are so screwed.

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