Deducting Childcare Expenses Without A Dependent Child

By Author: Vikram Kumar
Total Articles: 9397
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There are many cases where parents of a child or children who do not marry or who get divorced will share the tax benefits of children by either alternating which of the parents get to claim the child or even alternating which parent gets to claim which child, depending on the amount of children that they have. Even if the parent is not the custodial parent of the children, there are some expenses, such as child care, that they can claim. Here are some qualifying factors, according to Los Angeles accountants:

Paying Childcare Expenses So That They Can Work Or Look For Work

Those who are paying expenses for child care so that they can seek employment or work at a job meet one of the criteria for claiming the child care tax credit. If, for example, parents have an arrangement where they each have the children for part of the year and one parent, who is not the custodial parent, has to work during this time, they can deduct these expenses.

Paying More Than 50 Percent Of The Household Maintenance To Support The Child

In a case where more than half of the household expenses are going towards ...
... supporting the child when in the care of the non-custodial parent, then they meet another qualifying factor for deducting child care expenses.

A Babysitter Is A Dependent

If you have an older child or person who lives with you and is your dependent and they care for your child who is not a dependent, then you can deduct this cost for a child care provider on your income tax return. You should seek advice from a tax professional on how to claim this deduction.

When childcare is paid out by a non-custodial parent, they can take the deduction on their income taxes, even if they do not claim the child as their dependent in many cases. In order to make sure that you are getting the right amount of child care deductions in your taxes, you should consult with a tax professional so that you can legally take the right amount of deductions.
There are some cases where both parents can benefit from taking the child care expenses as well as other deductions that the IRS gives to dependent as well as non-dependent children. Those who have children who live with them, or who pay support or provide child care for the children can consult with a CPA Los Angeles in how they can make better use of the deductions the IRS allows for children, particularly if there is child care involved by a third party so that the parents can either look for work or work at their jobs.

Those who split custody of children as well as expenses for child care that are not covered by an employer can usually deduct the amount of child care that they pay for the care of children who are under the age of 12. In cases where both parents are paying for child care, then both should be able to deduct some or all of the care that they are paying for with regard to the children, regardless of whether or not the children live with them. Care for children by parents who are working or looking for work can usually be deducted by both parents even if only one of them has residential custody of the child or children. If there is more than one child involved, many parents find it beneficial to split the dependency status of the children for tax benefits as well, even if both of the children live with one of the parents for most of the year. It is advisable for both parents to get as much as they can for child tax credits from the IRS, regardless of which of them has residential custody of the children.

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Los Angeles Accountants can help those who are looking for child care deductions and other child deductions get the most out of the tax benefits afforded to those with children. A CPA Los Angeles can help parents who do not have custody but who pay for child care get a child care credit if they qualify. In order to find out more, seek an accountant Los Angeles by going to CPALA.com.