Here are the eligibility rules for the Child and Dependent Care Credit (the "How Do I" will follow):
To qualify for this credit, you must meet all of these criteria:
- You (and your spouse, if filing jointly) must have earned income
- The earned income requirement for one spouse is waived if s/he was a full-time student or
- Disabled, if they lived with the other spouse for more than 6 months in 2016
- You paid caregiving expenses so that you (and your spouse, if filing jointly) could work or look for work
- The work/look for work requirement for one spouse is waived if s/he was a full-time student or
- Disabled, if they lived with the other spouse for more than 6 months in 2016
- You paid a caregiver to care for a Qualifying Person. The caregiver cannot be:
- Your spouse;
- Your dependent;
- Your child if they were under 19 on the last day of 2016, even if not your dependent; or
- The parent of the Qualifying Person, if the Qualifying Person is your child under the age of 13 during 2016.
- You cannot file with the Married Filing Separately filing status
- You must furnish the care provider's name, address, and (unless it's a tax-exempt organization) their SSN, ITIN, or EIN on your return.
Here are the steps to enter these expenses:
1) Click Federal Taxes
2) Click Deductions and
Credits
3) Scroll down to You and
Your Family
4) Click Show More
5) Click Start next
to Child and Dependent Care Credit
