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Summer Day Care

What expenses qualify for the childcare credit?

Parents who have children under the age of 13 are allowed a tax credit for childcare expenses paid so they can work. In the summer, many parents send their children to a structured day camp or an overnight camp for a week or two at a time. In most cases, the cost of sending your child to a camp of this nature does not qualify as a childcare expense, even if one of the reasons for sending the child is for care. In order for the cost of a day camp to qualify for a tax credit, the organization that conducts the camp must adhere to the same rules as a dependent care center.

If you need childcare in the summer months and hire someone to come and watch your children in your home, the amount you pay for care qualifies for the credit. However, if you wish to take the credit, you must get the caregiver’s social security number and address. Plus, you must issue that person a W-2 if you pay him or her more than $1,600.