Why is Turbotax not letting me claim child and dependent care credit?

[DawnC]

Are you dependents under the age of 12?   See Qualifying Person below.   And do you have earned income entered yet (for you and your spouse if filing jointly)?  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 they were a full-time student or disabled (if they lived with the other spouse for more than 6 months in 2024).
• 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 they were a full-time student or disabled (if they lived with the other spouse for more than 6 months in 2024).
• You paid a caregiver to care for a Qualifying Person.
• Your filing status is not Married Filing Separately (except under certain circumstances).
• You can provide the care provider's name, address, and their SSN, ITIN, or EIN on your return (unless it's a tax-exempt organization).

What is the Dependent Care Credit?

[xmasbaby0]

We cannot see your screen or your tax return---so we can offer guesses.  

First---are you trying to work on the childcare credit before you have entered your W-2's or self-employment income?  The credit will not work if you have not entered income.

Are you filing married filing separately?   You will not get the childcare credit if you are filing MFS.

Is your child older than 12?

Are you a non-custodial parent?  Only the custodial parent can get the childcare credit.

https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/am-i-eligible-to-claim-the-child-and-dependent-care-credit

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/taxation/child-dependent-care-credit/L8h...

[kristen-a-benninger]

I'm divorced and filing head of household. I've entered all my W2s. My children are under 12. I'm the custodial parent.  It's sending me around in a loop.

[Jackie88n]

I got the same issue. I have 2 children, one is 2 one is 4. i work full time, i entered my W2. my wife does not work. I filled married jointly. It ask me 2 questions, were me or my wife student , were we disabled. i selected NO for both. And then it kicked me out. it does not allow me to enter the Child care credit section. Please help!!!

[jpaul70631]

Having the same issue! Kids under 12, all W2s entered under the correct names, not disabled, not students...seems to happen every year, looking at old message boards.

[xmasbaby0]

@Jackie88n You will not get the childcare credit for a joint return if you are not showing income earned from working from both parents, and you do not say that your spouse is a student or disabled, so you are not eligible for the childcare credit.    There is no "help" for that--- you do not get childcare credit when one parent does not work or attend school.  And is not disabled.

[xmasbaby0]

@Jackie88n 

@jpaul70631 

IRS tool to help you understand if you are eligible for the childcare credit:

https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/am-i-eligible-to-claim-the-child-and-dependent-care-credit

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/taxation/child-dependent-care-credit/L8h...

[joewhammy]

Same issue here. both kids under 12 and both parents working with W2's imported.

Site asks: Are you a fulltime student or disabled or none of the above. I select none of the above for both parents and I cant claim the credit. site says I don't qualify

[SusanY1]

Double-check the W-2 imports to be certain that they assigned properly.  If both were attributed to the same individual, this could cause the error you're describing.  

@joewhammy 

[joewhammy]

Thanks Susan, I will give that a shot. I just ran through this form:

https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/am-i-eligible-to-claim-the-child-and-dependent-care-credit

and we are eligible for the credit so there's definitely something odd going on with the return on the site.

[MarilynG1]

If you using TurboTax Online, close the program, clear your Cache and Cookies, and step through the Child Care Credit section again.

Here's more detailed info on the Child Care Credit.

@joewhammy 

@joewhammy 

[VolvoGirl]

I would delete the W2s and enter them again Manually.  That usually fixes it especially if you imported them.  They might have imported wrong.