The working family household and dependent care credit (WFHDC) is a tax credit that helps low- to moderate-income families pay for the care of their dependents while they're working, looking for work, or attending school.
Who qualifies for this credit?
To qualify, your adjusted gross income (AGI) must be less than the limit set for your household size.
You must also have qualifying household services or dependent care expenses. Qualified expenses must be paid by you (or your spouse, if filing jointly) for household services or care for qualifying individuals to allow you (and your spouse, if filing jointly) to work, look for work, or attend school.
Proof of qualifying expenses
You must be able to prove that you paid qualified expenses in order to claim this credit. Proof of both the payment and the receipt are required for each expense paid.
Acceptable proof of payment includes, but isn’t limited to:
- Cancelled check (front and back)
- Bank statement showing the cash withdrawal, along with receipts or detailed year end statement
- Electronic history report or statement showing money was sent by you, to whom it was sent, and indicating what the payment was for
Acceptable receipts must be received at the time of payment, must match the proof of payment, and must include the following: - Qualified individual’s full name
- Dates of care
- Date and amount paid
- Name of the person or agency paying
- Provider’s name, address, and phone number
- Provider’s SSN, individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN), or federal employer identification number (FEIN)
- Method of payment (check, money order, cash, etc.)
We may ask your provider to fill out Form OR-PS to verify the amount you paid. Ask for a signed receipt from your provider each time you pay for care.
Who is a "qualifying individual"?
- A child under age 13 whom you can claim as a dependent.
- Your disabled spouse who wasn't capable of self-care and who lived with you for more than half the year.
- Any disabled person who wasn't capable of self-care and who you can claim as a dependent (or could claim as a dependent except the person had a gross income of $4,700 or more in 2023, the person was married and filed a joint return, or you (or your spouse if filing jointly) could be claimed as a dependent on another taxpayer's return).
What are "household services" and "care of the qualifying individual"?
Household services are the services needed to care for the qualifying individual and to run the home. Costs for the care of the qualifying individual include the services for their well-being and protection. You can include the costs for care provided outside your home for your dependent under age 13 or any other qualifying individual who regularly spends at least eight hours a day in your home.
Qualifying household and dependent care expenses don't include:
- Public or private school (K-12).
- Summer school or tutoring.
- Sports.
- Overnight camps.
- Child support payments.
- Food, lodging, gas, or supplies.
- Late payment and most fees (see federal Publication 503 for more information).
For expenses for after-school activities and boarding school, only the portion that is for dependent care is eligible for this credit.
Qualifying expenses also don't include items paid by others on your behalf, such as expenses paid or reimbursed by a state social service agency, payments made by another family member, or payments made by the child's other parent.
How to claim this credit
Complete a Schedule OR-WFHDC. You will be asked to calculate the percentage of qualifying expenses you can claim. You must use the WFHDC online calculator or the tables inside Publication WFHDC-TB to find your percentage unless you use a tax preparation software that calculates it for you. If you or your spouse were a student when you paid for care, you must also complete Schedule OR-WFHDC-ST. See Schedule OR-WFHDC Instructions and Schedule OR-WFHDC-ST Instructions for more information.
Include Schedule OR-WFHDC and Schedule OR-WFHDC-ST, if applicable, with your personal income tax return. Claim the credit on Schedule OR-ASC or Schedule OR-ASC-NP using code 895.