How do I add my daycare expenses?

[marisa-r-tucker]

Me and my spouse have both earned income in 2024 and would like to include our daycare expenses as a deduction, but are not getting prompted with "earned income" as a qualifier to include. Our only prompts are "full time student" or having a disability. Can someone help?

[LindaS5247]

You can claim your daycare expenses as part of the child and dependent care credit.

To claim this credit, you and your spouse, must have income earned from a job and you must have paid for the care so that you could work or look for work.

Did you enter your earned income? You should enter that first.

Also, to review your TurboTax screens regarding your child care expenses, you can do the following:

1. Click "Search" at the top right of your screen
2. In the search box, type "daycare""
3. Click on "Jump to daycare" 
4. Review your screens about your daycare expenses

To qualify for the child and dependent care credit, you must have paid someone, like a day care provider, to care for one or more of the following people:

• a child under age 13 when the care was provided whom you claim as a dependent on your tax return
• your spouse, if that person is unable to take care of himself or herself and has lived in your home for at least half the year
• any other person claimed as a dependent on your return, if that person can't take care of himself or herself and has lived in your home at least half the year
   

You can claim the credit for money you paid for daycare as long as the person you paid was not one of the following people:

• your spouse
• a parent of the child being cared for—for example, you couldn't claim the credit if you paid your ex-spouse to care for the children you have together
• A dependent on your tax return
• Your own child, who is age 18 or younger, regardless of whether they are a dependent on your tax return.

You must also meet the following tests to claim this credit:

• You (and your spouse, if you're married) must have "earned income,"
• You must have paid for the care so that you could work or look for work. Being a full-time student or a parent unable to care for themselves does count as "working" for the purposes of the credit.
• If you are married, you must file a joint tax return.
• You must provide the name, address and Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) of the person who provided the care. The taxpayer ID number is either a Social Security number (SSN) or an Employer Identification Number (EIN). Ask your care provider for the number.

Click here for How do I get to the Child and Dependent Care Credit in TurboTax?
 

Click here for The Ins and Outs of the Child and Dependent Care Credit.