Why my child is not listed under the dependent care tax break?

[jessica-burgio77]

It's my year to claim my child as a dependent (her dad and I alternate years, per divorce agreement). My child is already listed as my dependent, but when I go to complete the dependent care part, under "whose care did you pay for", a drop down menu, where I would expect to see my daughter's name, shows nothing. Why is it blank? Daughter is under 13 and obv has no income of her own.

[DawnC · Accepted solution]

Sounds like you have not gone through the dependent questions in the Personal Info/My Info section yet.   Or maybe you have and your responses indicate that she is not your dependent.   In order for you to claim her as a dependent on your tax return, the 'how long did they live with you' question has to be more than 6 months.    If you were a non-custodial parent, you have to get a Form 8332 from the custodial parent to claim your daughter.   

If she lived with you more than 6 months, then there is some other question in the dependent interview that is causing her not to be qualifying as your dependent.    Visit the dependent questions again (My Info/Personal Info) section, Dependents) and ensure you have entered everything correctly.    Once you are done, TurboTax should give you a message that she qualifies as your dependent and then you can go through the Dependent Care tax credit section again.    Click Review next to your dependents name in the Personal Info section if you have already gone through the questions before.  

[jessica-burgio77]

Thank you! This is great info. Problem is: if I select more than 6 months, then I'm "forced" by the system to file as head of the house. I am not head of the house this year. The divorce agreement is that one year one parent is head of the house, and the other claims the child as dependent, the following year the opposite.
So, I need to have my child as dependent, but file as single. Which I was doing... but then the child's name will not appear under the care tax break.

[RobertB4444]

Either you are the custodial parent or you are not.  The custodial parent is entitled to be head of household and take the dependent care deduction (and the earned income credit if they qualify).  The non-custodial parent is entitled to a deduction for the child tax credit and nothing else.

You can't claim the Child and Dependent Care credit if you are claiming that you aren't the custodial parent.  Only the custodial parent gets to claim the expenses for care.

Here's the IRS guide for non-custodial parents.