Child Care Credit

2.2 Filing Requirements/Status/Dependents/Exemptions: Filing Status

If I moved out of my house on July 10, but was not divorced at the end of the year, can I file as head of household and take the earned income credit if I have a minor child? Can I also claim child care expenses?

You do not qualify for the head of household filing status because you and your spouse have not lived apart for the last 6 months of the taxable year and are not considered unmarried. Your filing status for the year will either be married filing separately, or married filing jointly. If it is married filing separately, you will not qualify for the Earned Income Credit and cannot claim a credit based on child care expenses. If you file a joint return with your spouse, you may be eligible to claim these credits.

7.1 Child Care Credit/Other Credits : Child and Dependent Care Credit & Flexible Benefit Plans

My spouse and I both work and are eligible for the Child and Dependent Care Credit. May I include my 5 year old son's parochial school kindergarten tuition cost as a qualified expense in Form 2441, Child Care Expenses?

The expenses for kindergarten do not qualify for the dependent care credit because kindergarten is primarily educational in nature. However, you can count the part of the expenses of sending your child to school that is for your child's care if it can be separated from the expenses of education. For example, you may count the cost of an after school care program even though the school tuition does not qualify.

I was under the impression that a Dependent Care Benefit Plan would benefit me, not penalize me with an increase in taxes. How can my employer say they provided a benefit in the total amount of $3,000 in W-2, Block 10 when I had $3,000 in wages set aside for dependent care benefits?

The actual mechanism for this type of plan is an agreement to voluntarily reduce your salary in return for an employer-provided fringe benefit. These plans must be set up this way because you have a choice of whether to receive the cash wages or the benefits, which would make the benefit taxable to you. Therefore, the benefits are actually employer provided or funded. You are receiving a tax benefit because you are not paying taxes on the money that is set aside.

How do I complete Form 2441 if I have flexible Spending Account?

You must complete Part III of Form 2441 (PDF), Child and Dependent Care Expenses, (or Form 1040A, Schedule 2 (PDF), Child and Dependent Care Expenses for Form 1040A Filers) to claim the exclusion of the benefits from income even if you cannot claim the credit. Enter your total employer-provided dependent care benefits on the correct line (this amount should appear in box 10 of your Form W-2) and your qualified expenses on the correct line. The last lines of Part III will determine whether you can also take the credit and what your dollar limit is on qualified expenses. Also complete Part I, Persons or Organizations Who Provided the Care.

I am thinking of having a family member baby-sit for my child full time in their own home while I work. Are either of us responsible for taxes on the money I would pay? Can I claim this money as a child care expense even though my family member is not a registered day care provider?

You may have qualified child care expenses if the family member baby-sitting is not your dependent or your child under age 19 and you meet all the tests to claim the Child and Dependent Care Credit. Who is responsible for taxes depends on whether your family member is your employee or is self-employed. See Publication 15-A (PDF) , Employer's Supplemental Tax Guide, for a discussion of how to tell whether someone who is performing services for you is an employee or an independent contractor. If your family member is not your employee, then the family member will be responsible for paying income taxes and self-employment taxes on the money earned. If your family member is your employee, then you are generally responsible for withholding and paying the taxes. However, special rules apply to family employees.

7.2 Child Care Credit/Other Credits : Child Tax Credit

Can you file for the Child Tax Credit and the Child Care Credit, too?

The Child Tax Credit and the Child and Dependent Care Credit can both be claimed on the same return. They can be claimed on either Form 1040 (PDF), U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, or Form 1040A (PDF), U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. Please refer to the Form 1040 Instructions or the Form 1040A Instructions index for the Child Tax Credit. The referenced pages will explain who qualifies for the Child Tax Credit, and how to calculate it. Publication 503, Child and Dependent Care Expenses, has more information for the Child Care Credit.