Monday, December 26, 2016

How Your Child Can Help Your Taxes

When it comes to having kids, there are some great things about being a parent…as well as some not so great things.Despite the tough parts and all the responsibilities that go along with parenthood, however, there are some perks, including financial ones! In fact, there are actually quite a few tax breaks and credits that you should know about and take advantage of if you’re a parent.  

The Dependent Exemption

First things first, when you have a child of your own or even any kind of dependent, you can claim a dependent exemption on your taxes. This amount varies per year, but the most recent figure was $4,050 per dependent. With this exemption, you’ll be able to reduce your taxable income, which can really help when it comes to lowering your taxes overall.

Child Care/ Dependent Care Credit

If you have a child or a dependent who is under the age of 13 and whom you have to place in child care or some other kind of supervisory care while you work or look for work, you are likely eligible for the child and dependent care credit.

You can get a nice deduction, up to a certain amount, off of what you pay for qualifying child care. Before applying for this credit, just make sure you know how much of a deduction you are eligible for, based on current rates and the number of children/dependents in care, and other factors. As long as you file the credit correctly, it can really help you to save big!


These are just two of many excellent financial bonuses to having a child or other dependent, so make sure you are taking advantage of these and other great money-saving methods for which you are eligible as a parent/caregiver. Your accountant should also be able to fill you in on any credits or deductions you may have missed, so it doesn’t hurt to double-check!

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