topic Dependent Care in Deductions & credits

Dependent Care

Vmal87 — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 04:29:20 GMT

Hello! I am wanting to use the dependent care credit since I pay my mom to watch my kids while I work. I can enter her social and info and the amount paid no issue but she passed the day after Christmas however I did pay her during the year prior to her surprise exit. I can still enter, right? She’s just not going to be filing any taxes this year obviously since she’s deceased and I don’t know how that all works for the state to tax her on the amount or if it causes any delays for my return

Re: Dependent Care

ThomasM125 — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 03:49:29 GMT

I'm sorry to hear about your loss.

You can still claim the monies you paid your mother to qualify for the dependent care credit. However, there may need to be a tax return filed on her behalf on which you would need to report the payments to her as income. In the year of death, a tax return needs to be filed reporting income for that year up to the date of death, assuming there is enough income to require a tax return to be filed.

You can use this IRS tool to determine if you need to file tax return for your mother in the year of her death:

Do I need to file a tax return?

Re: Dependent Care

Vmal87 — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 17:51:39 GMT

@ThomasM125 Thank you, for your condolences and the guidance.

So I used the “do I file a return” and entered her information and it prompted me she did not qualify to file a return even with what I paid her. I just want to be sure when I file that it’s not going to cause any delays on my return on my end I guess?

Re: Dependent Care

ThomasM125 — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 22:28:32 GMT

No, it won't delay your refund, her death with have no affect on your tax return.

Re: Dependent Care

Vmal87 — Sat, 22 Jan 2022 21:16:24 GMT

@ThomasM125 Thank you very much for the clarification. I was so confused before hand- just filed and entered her social. Have a wonderful tax year