CHILD AND DEPENDENT CARE TAX CREDIT
The following is primarily summarized from Tax
Topic - 602: Child and Dependent Care Credit (www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc602.html)
posted on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
website.
WHAT IS THE CHILD AND DEPENDENT CARE
CREDIT?
The Child and Dependent Care Credit is a tax
credit for single individuals or married couples
who have incurred child or dependent care expenses
in caring for qualified children, dependents or
spouses while working or looking for work. People
who qualify for the credit are allowed up to
$3,000 of care for one dependent or $6,000 of care
expenses for two or more qualifying dependents.
The amount of the credit is based upon income
ranging from 20-35% of care expenses.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE CHILD AND
DEPENDENT CARE CREDIT?
To be eligible for the credit, single or married
people:
- Must have provided care for one or more
qualifying persons
- If care was provided at home, the qualifying
person must have lived at the residence for more
than half of the year
- Cannot pay someone to provide care who is a
child under age 19 or that they claim as a
dependent
- Must have earned income from wages or net
earnings from self-employment
- Must have work-related care expenses that are
not higher than the yearly earned income of the
tax filer, if single or the smaller amount of a
couple’s earned incomes, if married
- Must have a filing status as single, head of
household, married filing jointly or qualifying
widow/widower with a dependent child
Individuals who qualify to be claimed for the
credit are:
- Dependent children who were under age 13 when
care was provided
- Dependents who are physically or mentally
incapable of caring for themselves and have
lived at the tax filer’s principal residence for
more than half of the year
- Spouses who are physically or mentally
incapable of caring for themselves and have
lived at the tax filer’s principal residence for
more than half of the year
For further information, see IRS Publication
503: Child and Dependent Care Expenses at the IRS
website: www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p503.pdf
FILING FOR A CHILD AND DEPENDENT CARE
CREDIT
The Child and Dependent Care credit can be
claimed by filing Form 2441 with Form 1040. Form
1040EZ cannot be filed with the credit.
FORMS TO BRING TO A TAX ASSISTANCE SITE
When visiting a Connecticut Tax-Aide Assistance
or VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) site,
bring the following:
- All W-2 forms for household
- 1099 Forms (if any)
- Social Security Card(s) or Individual
Taxpayer ID Number(s) for all household members
- Last Year's Tax Return (if you have one)
- Child care provider name, address and tax ID
number
- Education expenses and student loan
information
- For direct deposit, a check or savings
account number with routing number
- Copies of payments to municipalities (local
property taxes such as automobiles) for state
tax returns
- Any other tax-related documents you have
received
TO FIND PROVIDERS IN CONNECTICUT'S COMMUNITY
RESOURCES DATABASE:
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SOURCES: 2-1-1 database; Tax
Topic 602: Child and Dependent Care Credit
posted on the Internal Revenue Service website
INTERNET PAGE PREPARED BY: 211/pt
CONTENT LAST REVIEWED: January2013
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