Small Business CPA remind that If you paid someone to care for your child, you may qualify to claim the Child Care Credit when you file your tax return

Small Business CPA Gustavo A Viera remind that If you paid someone to care for your child, spouse, or dependent last year, you may qualify to claim the Child and Dependent Care Credit when you file your federal income tax return, according to Small Business CPA across the country. Below are 10 things the Small Business CPA Viera wants you to know about claiming the credit for child and dependent care expenses.

Small Business CPA Licensed CPA Tips

1. The care must have been provided for one or more qualifying persons, according to Small Business CPA. A qualifying person is your dependent child age 12 or younger when the care was provided. Additionally, your spouse and certain other individuals who are physically or mentally incapable of self-care may also be qualifying persons. You must identify each qualifying person on your tax return.

2. Small Business CPA everywhere remind you the care must have been provided so you – and your spouse if you are married filing jointly – could work or look for work.

3. You – and your spouse if you file jointly – must have earned income from wages, salaries, tips, other taxable employee compensation, or net earnings from self-employment states Small Business CPA Gustavo Viera. One spouse may be considered as having earned income if they were a full-time student or were physically or mentally unable to care for themselves.

4. The payments for care cannot be paid to your spouse, to the parent of your qualifying person, to someone you can claim as your dependent on your return, or to your child who will not be age 19 or older by the end of the year even if he or she is not your dependent. You must identify the care provider(s) on your tax return prepared by your local Small Business CPA.

5. Licensed Small Business CPA reminds you that your filing status must be single, married filing jointly, head of household, or qualifying widow(er) with a dependent child.

6. The qualifying person must have lived with you for more than half of 2011, according to Small Business CPA Gustavo Viera. There are exceptions for the birth or death of a qualifying person or a child of divorced or separated parents. See Publication 503, Child and Dependent Care Expenses.

7. The credit can be up to 35 percent of your qualifying expenses, depending upon your adjusted gross income.

8. For 2011, you may use up to $3,000 of expenses paid in a year for one qualifying individual or $6,000 for two or more qualifying individuals to figure the credit, according to Small Business CPA. The qualifying expenses must be reduced by the amount of any dependent

9. Care benefits provided by your employer that you deduct or exclude from your income, such as a flexible spending account for daycare expenses.

10. If you pay someone to come to your home and care for your dependent or spouse, you may be a household employer and may have to withhold and pay Social Security and Medicare tax and pay federal unemployment tax. , Household Employer’s Tax Guide.