File a simple tax return to learn how much money you can receive.

The amount you get depends on your income, your spouse’s income (if you file jointly), and the number of children or dependents you care for. Here’s how it works: 

To get the CDCTC, you first need to track and add up your expenses to claim them. Qualifying expenses include paying a childcare provider to care for your children or your dependent family member while you work or look for work. You can claim up to $3,000 in qualifying expenses if you have one child or one dependent family member. If you have one or more children, and one or more dependent family members, you can claim up to $6,000 in qualifying expenses. 

The CDCTC gives back between 35-50% of your claimed expenses, depending on your income, tax filing status, and the number of dependents.  

Calculating your CDCTC credit can seem complicated.  Tax filing resources can make claiming the CDCTC easier by calculating your credit from the information you enter in your tax return form. Check out three easy ways to file your taxes.

You need to earn between $15,000-$75,000 as a single filer or $15,000-150,000 if filing jointly. You may be able to get the CDCTC even if you do not earn income because you are a full-time student.

Your family could claim the credit if you paid for care in 20254 for a dependent child under age 13 or a spouse or adult dependent who cannot care for themselves while you worked or looked for work.

The child or dependent claimed must have lived with you for at least half of the year.

In addition, you will need to show that you needed the child or dependent care in order to work or look for work. In a two-parent family, both spouses or partners must have needed child or dependent care to work or look for work, unless one spouse was a full-time student or unable to care for themselves.

Any kind of child or dependent care can qualify. This includes daycare centers, a family day care home or a church, vacation day camps, or care provided by a neighbor or a relative. Before you file your taxes, make sure you have the EIN (Employer Identification Number) or the TIN (Tax Identification Number) for each care provider.

If a family receives free child care, such as from a state-subsidized program, that care cannot be used to qualify for the credit.

No, this tax credit is non-refundable. The credit can reduce the amount of taxes you owe, but any remaining credit will not be paid out as a refund.