Adoption expenses incurred 2016. Adoption finalized Jan. 2017. Does this mean tax credit cannot be claimed until 2018? What tax breaks would we have for this year?

[Critter]

It is kind of funky how it works ... but the expenses paid in 2016 cannot be taken on the 2016 return because the adoption was not final in 2016. There is a delay feature ... but since the adoption will be final in 2017, the 2016 costs + any incurred in 2017 will all be deductible on the 2017 return filed in early 2018.