Does my 21-year-old special needs son qualify for the dependent card deduction when he attends day programs while we work?

Yes. You can claim a Dependent Care Credit for children 13 and over in certain situations. ‌The child must be considered "disabled."  

 

To be considered disabled, both of the following must be true per the IRS: 

1. "You can’t engage in any substantial gainful activity because of a physical or mental condition.
2. A qualified physician determines that the condition has lasted or can be expected to last continuously for at least a year or can be expected to result in death."

 

Here is how to claim the credit in TurboTax Online:

• First, navigate to My Info > Your Household > Name of the child > select to expand menu, choose edit
• Continue until you reach "Less common situations for child"
• Select "Was disabled"
• Next, navigate to Federal > Deductions & Credits > Dependent Care Credit > Add/Edit
• You will then enter the cost of care for the period of time the child was considered disabled

 

 

 

Okay, this is a great help for this tax season and even more in the coming year now that my wife is being called back into the office and our son will age out of school requiring more day program support. It appears only a percentage is credited but anything helps. Thank you for the guidance.