About Form 2441

• Taxpayers who pay out of pocket expenses for the care of a qualifying individual or child while they are working, a full-time student, or looking for work should utilize Form 2441.

• If a joint return both the taxpayer and spouse must be employed, full-time students, or looking for work.

• Taxpayers may provide a daycare or written statement detailing the amount of expenses paid.

• The Married Filing Separately filing status disallows Child and Dependent Care credit.

• For purposes of Form 2441 qualifying children are younger than 13.

• For purposes of Form 2441 qualifying individuals cannot be able to provide for themselves and cannot make more that $5,050 (2024). 

• Taxpayers must be able to provide the EIN or SSN for the care provider.

• Child and Dependent Care Credit is a non-refundable credit for all tax years other than 2021.

• For 2021 only the Child and Dependent Care Credit was fully refundable.

Completing Form 2441

1. Place an “X” in the dependent care field on the Client Data Page.
   
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2. Navigate to Form 2441.
   
   

3. Complete Part I of Form 2441 by entering the care provider's information.

   1. Enter the care provider’s name and phone number in column A.

   2. Enter the care provider’s address in column B.

   3. In column C, enter “E” if using a daycare’s EIN/TIN or “S” if using the care provider’s SSN.

   4. In column D, you must indicate if a taxpayer is a household employee. Enter “H” for household employee, otherwise enter “N”.
      
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4. Complete Part II of Form 2441 by entering dependent information.

   1. In columns A and B, enter the name of the qualifying individual or individuals (if you linked from the Client Data Page, this information will automatically be populated).
      
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   2. If the dependent is over 12 and disabled/unable to care for themselves, place an “X' in column C.
      
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   3. In column D, enter the amount of qualified expenses paid for each individual dependent.
      
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