Skip to main content
April 15, 2024
Question

Dependent Care Credit

  • April 15, 2024
  • 1 reply
  • 0 views

Can I claim my husband's payments to his health care attendants (he is a working quadriplegic)? They are significant and I also work full time. I tried to put it through in Turbo Tax, and it said we weren't eligible, but it didn't provide more explanation. From what I've read, this is available to us and while there is a declining scale of credit for income, there is no income limit.

1 reply

April 15, 2024

No.  Since he is working this would be considered a medical expense deduction instead of a Child and Dependent Care. 

 

The Child and Dependent Care credit is meant to provide care so you are able to work.  

 

In order to claim the health care attendant as a medical expense, you would need to itemize deductions.

 

Itemized expenses include mortgage interest, gambling losses up to winnings,  charitable contributions, state and local taxes up to $10,000, medical expenses in excess of 7.5% of your AGI and casualty and losses in excess of 10% of you AGI with the first $100 not counting towards the loss.  Your health insurance and all medical expenses are only deductible for the amount that is over 7.5% of your AGI.  This means if your AGI is $50,000, then the amount that is over $3,750 is deductible.  

 

Then your total itemized expenses would need to be greater than your standard deduction below in order to benefit from your expenses. 

 

The 2023 Standard Deductions are as follows:

  • Married Filing Joint (MFJ)              $27,700
  • Married Filing Separate (MFS)      $13,850
  • Head of Household (HOH)             $20,800 
  • Single                                                     $13,850                                

Blind or over 65 and MFJ or MFS add $1,500

Single or HOH if blind or over 65 add $1,850

 

 

Standard versus Itemized Deduction

**Say "Thanks" by clicking the thumb icon in a post**Mark the post that answers your question by clicking on "Mark as Best Answer"