Child Care while on Maternity Leave

[michelle12323]

While on maternity leave (disability) with my newborn, my older children were in daycare.  Can I claim the child care deduction for the entire year including my disability leave, or only for the part of the year while I was officially at work?

Currently, I've filled in amounts for the portion of the year I was at work only.  There is also a question as to the total amount paid to the daycare provider for the whole year.  I am unsure if I should enter the total amount for the year, or the total amount for the portion of the year that I was at work.

Thank you for the assistance.

[rjs]

You can only claim the child care credit for the time that you were actually working, not for the time that you were on maternity leave. When you enter the amount that you paid, enter only the amount for the time that you were working. That applies to both the amount paid for each child, and the total amount paid to the provider.