- Community
- Support
- TurboTax
- Credits and deductions
- Family and dependents
- What is the Child and Dependent Care Credit?
What is the Child and Dependent Care Credit?
by TurboTax• Updated 2 weeks ago
The Child and Dependent Care Credit (not to be confused with the similar-sounding Child Tax Credit) can reduce your tax bill if you paid for a dependent's care so that you could work or look for work.
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 2023).
- 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 2023).
- You paid a caregiver to care for a Qualifying Person. The caregiver can't be:
- Your spouse.
- Your dependent.
- Your child if they were under 19 on the last day of 2023, even if not your dependent.
- The parent of the Qualifying Person, if the Qualifying Person is your child under the age of 13 during 2023.
- 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).
The Child and Dependent Care Credit is worth as much as 35% of your qualified expenses, up to $3,000, (for one qualifying person), and $6,000 (for two or more qualifying persons). Your percentage depends on your AGI, with the higher percentages applying to lower incomes and vice-versa.
For example, a married couple supporting two qualifying persons who paid $6,000 in qualified expenses may qualify for up to $2,100 in credits, depending on their AGI.
TurboTax will determine your eligibility and calculate the maximum credit allowed.
More like this
- What is the Child Tax Credit?by TurboTax•9654•Updated 4 weeks ago
- Who is a Qualifying Person for the Child and Dependent Care Credit?by TurboTax•1599•Updated January 27, 2024
- What is the Additional Child Tax Credit?by TurboTax•2167•Updated February 21, 2024
- What is the $500 Credit for Other Dependents (“Family Tax Credit”)?by TurboTax•3230•Updated February 10, 2024
- Does preschool tuition count for the Child and Dependent Care credit?by TurboTax•3269•Updated 4 weeks ago
![Dynamic Ads](https://digitalasset.intuit.com/render/content/dam/intuit/cgcs/en_us/turbotax/images/TY23_Default_MAX_Refund_Dynamic_Ad_318x300.jpg)
![Dynamic Ads](https://digitalasset.intuit.com/render/content/dam/intuit/cgcs/en_us/turbotax/images/TY23_Default_MAX_Refund_Dynamic_Ad_300x50.jpg)