In today's society, two income families are the norm. Both parents have to work to pay the bills. That means the children need to be looked after by a trusted third party. The government wants to reward those dedicated parents at tax time.



Regardless of whether it is by means of a day care center, a family member, a close friend, or a hired nanny, the price of child care is anything but cheap. The child and dependent care credit, however, allows parents and guardians of children to receive money back from the government based on the money they have spent on child care throughout the year.

Parents and legal guardians of children that have had to pay for a child care under the age of thirteen can apply for the child care credit. In order to use a child as a means for application the child must live with you for a minimum of six months of the year.

Only children who are claimed as dependents and tax exemptions on your federal tax returns can be used to apply for the child care credit. In the case of couples with children who are now divorced or no longer living in the same home, only the parent who lives in the child's primary resident is permitted to claim the tax credit.

The price of private school tuition is not applicable under the child care credit, but instead can be counted as part of the educational concerns category where it does indeed count towards a deduction. After school day care programs that are charged a price apart from regular tuition is applicable.

There is often confusion regarding just how dependent care spending accounts are reported on tax forms. It is important to understand that these spending accounts cannot be used to obtain the child care credit because, even though it is used to pay for the cost of child care, it is tax-free.

Parents who are in this situation can still claim the child tax credit, but not a dependent care credit. Any expenses over and above the amount that was set aside in the dependent care plan are eligible for the child care credit. The credit received can be anywhere from twenty to thirty-five percent of the total amount of money spent on child care.

The child care credit is a good thing for those parents who have struggled to keep their children in day care. They can claim a child tax credit and also the child care credit for the money they put into their children's care.