Deductions & credits

It actually depends upon the type of adoption, domestic or foreign.

See the following chart for more details. 

Essentially, if it is a domestic adoption, you can take the credit the year after the year of payment.  So if you paid in 2019, then you can take the credit in 2020 if the expenses are for the year before the adoption becomes final.

If it's a foreign adoption, you cannot claim the credit until the year the adoption becomes final.

Please see the following links for additional information to assist you when you compute the amount of your adoption expenses.

Claiming the adoption credit in 2020

Additional adoption credit information

You will be able to claim the adoption credits in TurboTax in the Federal section of the program.

1. Select Deductions & Credits 
2. Scroll down to All Tax Breaks  
3. Select You and Your Family 
4. Click Show more and select start (or revisit) under Adoption Credit 
5. Select your child's name, and click edit or add your child here by clicking start.