Pregnant!

[CrazyEight]

Legally, you can only make $50 a week on top of your EI payment. Any more than that, and the gov't deducts money from your EI payment, dollar for dollar, making it useless to collect EI and run your daycare at the same time. Having them pay your husband instead is considered fraud, since you are making regular wages and also collecting EI. It would also complicate you claiming your income at the end of the year.

When I started my daycare, I was still collecting EI from my mat leave with my third baby. I opened 2 months early for one family, and had them pay me $50 a week for those 2 months, so that I could still collect EI, because they were going on vacation for 2 weeks during that time and I wouldn't have gotten paid at all for that. I am due with #4 next month, and am not taking a leave, nor have I paid into EI, because for me it wasn't worth it. EI will only pay you 55% of your last years' wages after deductions, and that is just not enough. So I am scaling back (have to anyways because of Bill 10) and having an easier year as a sort-of "half" mat leave. Still working, so more money than being on EI, but not running at full capacity and terming my most difficult clients. You have to work out what is best for you financially.

With regards to the assistant, I suppose your clients could pay her their fees and she could pay you a portion of them, but she'd only be allowed to give you the $50 a week before you had to start claiming the income.

I see lots of people advertising that they don't give receipts because they are on mat leave, and therefore working under the table. It wasn't something I was comfortable doing, and I'm not advising it, just passing on what is legal.

Congratulations, and good luck with whatever you decide!