Question regarding receipts

[zoomama]

my families pay once a month, and up until now i have been writing each family a receipt for each individual payment. i'm tired of the paperwork, and tired of writing duplicates at tax time for parents who can't seem to file their paperwork properly. i want to change my system and begin logging each payment in a spreadsheet for the year, and typing out one receipt for the total amount paid by each family for that year, either at tax time, or when they are leaving care.

is there any reason this wouldn't work?

[zoomama]

oops...should have done a search first...found some info on here in another thread

[Crayola kiddies]

I do exactly that .... However I do it all by hand as I have the worst luck with computers ..... So I have a duo tang with a spread sheet I made on the computer and each family has their own page and I log the date the payment was made, how it was made (cash or EMT), the amount, and the weeks payable for and I issue one receipt at the end of the year and I have right in my policy book that I charge $25 to reissue any lost receipts.

[apples and bananas]

I do all of my receipts on the computer. I save them in a file per client per year and I make sure I have everything backed up once a month. This way if a client needs a reprint I can just print it off and mark it as a reprint. I also track all of my payments per day on a tracking sheet per month so I have back up and I do the receipts based on that number.

This is also where I record birthdays, start days, late pick ups/drop offs. Dr. appointments, absents, days closed etc.

I have one family who seems to always leave their monthly receipt behind so I have stopped doing it monthly for them and will issue them one receipt at the end of the year.

[zoomama]

crayola, good point about an extra charge for replacement of lost receipts. i wondered about implementing that, and think i will. my chronic receipt losing family is finished at the end of this month, but it might deter others becoming the same. i hate paperwork, and having to dig up old receipts and issue duplicates due to sheer negligence of adults is a total pet peeve of mine!

a&b, looks like i should make another daily spreadsheet for each month to record the daily info. thanks for the tip!

[Momof4]

I write all my receipts in a dollar store receipt book with duplicates as I'm paid and don't give them out until tax time. At that time I give the parents a printed summary of all the receipts and their paper copies too. That way nobody loses any paperwork and they have the option of sending in the actual receipts or the summary with their taxes. My clients love my system.

[playfelt]

I do cheap receipt books too and give a receipt weekly with each payment and I have the duplicate. I like that there is something that proves I was paid or not paid. All of the payments and receipt numbers are recorded on my forms. At the end of the year I give an annual statement outlining the amount paid and my information for their taxes with the idea - this is the amount I am saying I got paid by you so use your receipts to verify or live with what I am recording on my taxes. I do charge for a duplicate annual statement but do not issue any duplicate weekly receipts as it would screw up the numbering in my book and I would prefer not to.

[mop]

I do up their invoice and print out two copies. The invoice is for the next month and goes home the 2nd or 3rd week of the month. When I deposit and the clear their payment, I write "PAID, the date, cheque #" on my copy of the invoice. I then fill out a dollar store receipt book so the family gets an actual receipt each month for tax time. I like it because my copy stays in the receipt book, and holds all the receipts I ever write related to daycare for my own record keeping.

[zoomama]

I've been dollar store receipts with duplicates as well. I like the idea of doing both individual receipts AND an annual summary. I think i'll adopt this system, holding onto all monthly receipts to be given in one single envelope with summary sheet at year end.

Thanks for all the great input!!