topic child care/child credit in Deductions & credits

child care/child credit

KCBuck — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 15:14:58 GMT

How can i ensure i am getting this child credit for my 5 year old on my return for 2018? why am i not being allowed to enter my child care fees which are over 1500/month? Is there eligibility based on income? Thanks.

Re: child care/child credit

xmasbaby0 — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 15:51:46 GMT

You are working on a 2018 return? Are you using 2018 software? You cannot use the online program. Online is only for 2019. If you are in the wrong software, STOP. If you are correctly using 2018 desktop software--great--you are okay.

The childcare credit is non-refundable. It is a credit that is applied against your tax liability.

One of the most common mistakes that messes up the childcare credit for people is listing all of the earned income under only one name on a joint return. Make very sure that your incomes are listed under each of your names. It’s pretty easy to check. Go to the Income section, and click “update” on Wages and Salary. That will take you to the W-2 Summary. Do you see income listed under both of your names?

A few other things—the childcare credit is not a refund. It can reduce your taxes owed. If you were self-employed, but showed a loss, you will not receive the credit.

The person receiving the care had to be 12 or under or qualified as mentally or physically disabled. To claim the childcare credit you need to be filing as Head of Household or Married Filing Jointly. (NOT married filing separately)

Look at your 2018 tax return to see the child-related /dependent credits you received:

Child tax credit line 12a

Additional Child Tax Credit line 17b (schedule 8812)

Credit for Other Dependents line 12a

Earned Income Credit (EIC) line 17a

Child and Dependent Care Credit line 12 (comes from Schedule 3 Form 2441)

The dependents you listed are on the first page of your Form 1040 below your address.

Re: child care/child credit

macuser_22 — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 16:34:22 GMT

In addition:

Only the parent that lived with the child more than half the year (custodial parent) can claim the child care credit.

Child care is "work related". It can only be claimed if the care was necessary so that you (and your spouse if married) could work. Only if the child lived with you more than half the year *and* the care was required so that you could work is it allowed. If you did not live with the child or work at the time that the care was provided then it was not necessary so that you could work and therefore is not allowed.

See IRS Pub 503.
https://www.irs.gov/publications/p503#en_US_2018_publink100048433