Form it 216Claim for Child and Dependent Care CreditIT216 Tax Ny

The IRS Tax Code provides for a "Dependent Care Tax Credit" for those paying for dependent care of a child under age 13.The credit can also be used for a spouse or dependent (such as an elder) who cannot care for themselves and requires care. The expense must be absolutely medically necessary in such cases to allow the taxpayer (and spouse, if applicable) to work, seek work, or attend school.To determine any available credit, you might consider up to $3000 annually of child care expenses for a single dependent, and a maximum of $6000 annually for 2 or 2+ dependents. Depending on the your AGI or adjusted gross income, the maximum credit (dollar-for-dollar offset of tax liability) is: 30% ($720 annually for 1 child) IF you less than $10,000 per year.It decreases by 1% for each $2000 of additional annual income to 20% ($480 annually for 1 child) for you if your annual earning is over $28,000.The higher your earnings, the lower your tax credit. If your income is more than $43k annually, you'll qualify for the 20% break.The IRS Section 129 Dependent Care Assistance Plans (DCAP), are a form of employer-provided assistance for dependent care needs of employees. The most popular: Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account usually offered through a flexible benefit plan. Employees with this benefit may salary reduce on a pre-tax basis up to $5000 annually into a flexible spending account (FSA) for dependent care. Again, the care must be for a child under age 13 or a disabled dependent meeting certain other requirements. Not all employers offer a flexible spending option.These types of salary reduction contributions are exempt from federal income tax, state income tax, and social security tax. Once you've covered such an expense, you are required to submit an reasonable receipt in order to gain a reimbursement. Upon approval of the expense, a tax-free reimbursement is made to the employee. Not all employees are offered such benefits by the employer and the third party receipt usually cannot be as simple as a handwritten note from say, a family member you asked to babysit. Ask your employer about this and find a professional in your area as it is contingent on your specific tax situation.Say you have $5,000 in child-care expenses, you will get a tax break of only 1000.00. You can set aside up to $5,000 in pretax money in your FSA, and claim the dependent-care credit for up to $1,000 in additional expenses. (sources: IRS; Kiplinger's Tax Education; ProBenefits)Obviously some of these little known benefits are rarely provided by employers and it can be rather complicated if you're not doing financial planning or using unlicensed care vendors.So I would recommend you locate a licensed professional in your area and schedule an appointment if your benefits package has such an option and you're keeping your care providers at a corporate facility for example or an at home care medical professional.Usually if you'd like to take advantage of such credits you would have to hire an qualified Enrolled Agent, CPA, or tax professional with the type of software needed to reflect more intricate tax credits on your return. In other words, don't expect Turbo Tax or your local church free return preparation weekend to know about how to help you take advantage as it does require some financial planning and cooperation from your employer.If you're on a 1099 or work several jobs resulting in many W2s per year obviously such a solution would very difficult especially if you have a friend or family member who is not licensed providing cash basis care. In that case you're probably better off keeping your taxes simple rather than taking credits you might not qualify for and sticking with the general EITC refundable credit if you qualify.Not all tax credits are refundable meaning it will only offset the tax you owe by that amount and cause a nominal, if any change in your refund or owed amount. Complicating your return in some scenarios will only cost you more at filing time and it may well offset any benefit.