Can I deduct for paying for in-home elder care for parents?

RMD20201 · ‎March 31, 2024

If I pay for in-home elder care services for my parents, am I able to take any deductions? I am filing as a Single and require someone to take care of my parents while I work.

And if my parents paid for some of the services to take care of them (post-surgery, doc appts, housework, etc.), can they claim any of the expenses on their tax return if they filed Married Filing Jointly? They get Social Security, have 1099-INT, 1099-R.

I filled out the ITA IRS form (https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/do-i-qualify-for-the-credit-for-the-elderly-or-disabled) and it seems like I would qualify for a maximum of $6K and would have to submit Form 2441, Child and Dependent Care Expenses. When I filled out the form, I answered for each parent with:

What tax year are you asking about? 2023

What is your filing status for 2023? Single

Did you pay or incur expenses to care for a person under age 13, or a person who was physically/mentally unable to care for himself/herself, in order to work or look for work? Yes

Of the expenses incurred to allow you to work or look for work, what portion did you incur for the care recipient(s) to attend kindergarten or a higher grade of school? None

What portion of the care, if any, was provided by one or more of the following:

your dependent (or your spouse's dependent if you were married)
your child who was under age 19 at the end of 2023
a person who was your spouse at any time during 2023
the parent of your qualifying person if your qualifying person is your child and under age 13

None

Did you prepay 2024 dependent care expenses in 2023? No

Did you pay dependent care expenses in 2023 but incur the expenses in a prior year? No

Were at least some of the expenses paid in 2023 or prepaid in a prior year? Yes

Did you have earned income during the tax year? Yes

First Name: Dad

First Name: Mom

What is Dad's relationship to you? Other

What is Dad's date of birth? MM/DD/YYYY

Was Dad a person who was physically or mentally unable to care for himself or herself? Yes

Are you claiming Dad as a dependent on your return? No

Did Dad live with you for more than half the year? Yes

Would Dad have been your dependent except that he or she is filing a joint return? Yes

Does Dad have a taxpayer identification number (SSN, ATIN or ITIN)? Yes

And repeated the same for Mom.

We paid ~$6K in cash for in-home care services in 2023.

Does this sound correct that a deduction is possible? Either I take it or my parents?

My parents do not qualify for the "Elderly or Disabled Credit'. And when I enter the information for the question "Did you pay for child and dependent care in 2023?", I selected "No" because the description has:
"We might be able to get you a big break on your taxes if you paid someone to take care of a child or a dependent so you could work, look for work or go to school." - my parents are retired.

Trying to figure out if there is a eligible deduction that can be considered. Any help / advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!!