why does the dependent care credit list my spouse? and not let me add the money i paid for my kids?

[gmpropertieswi]

When I go to enter my kids child care expenses, it asks if my husband was the one I paid for care for. When i say no, it tells me i am done with that section and cannot add my three kids care expenses. Does anyone know why?

[MonikaK1 · Accepted solution]

The questionnaire in TurboTax includes questions about your spouse in order to determine whether you both worked or whether one of you was a student or disabled. If only you worked, and your spouse didn't meet the exception for a full-time student or disabled individual or actively looking for work, then you would not be eligible to claim the Child and Dependent Care Credit. Revisit the section and review the questionnaire again.

According to the IRS, a qualifying individual for the child and dependent care credit is:

• Your dependent qualifying child who was under age 13 when the care was provided,
• Your spouse who was physically or mentally incapable of self-care and lived with you for more than half of the year, or
• An individual who was physically or mentally incapable of self-care, lived with you for more than half of the year, and either: (a) was your dependent; or (b) could have been your dependent except that he or she received gross income of $5,200 or more, or filed a joint return, or you (or your spouse, if filing jointly) could have been claimed as a dependent on another taxpayer's 2025 return.

Physically or mentally not able to care for oneself - An individual is physically or mentally incapable of self-care if, as a result of a physical or mental defect, the individual is incapable of caring for his or her hygiene or nutritional needs or requires the full-time attention of another person for the individual's own safety or the safety of others.

See this IRS webpage for more information about the credit.

To enter dependent care for multiple people in TurboTax, navigate to the Deductions & Credits section, select Dependent Care Credit, and click "Add Another Person" to list each dependent. 

Ensure you enter the total expenses for all dependents (up to $6,000 for two or more) and, if necessary, click "+ Add Another Care Provider" to list different providers for each child.