Tax Questions

Members of the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants are answering readers' tax questions through April 15. I am a day care provider and am planning to lease a minivan for my business. The main purpose of the van will be to convey my students to/from school to my day care facility. What are the tax benefits if I lease this van? You have the choice of deducting a standard mileage rate (32.5 cents in 2000) per business mile driven or deducting the actual cost of using the minivan for business.