Get 2003 Form 1040a (schedule 2). Child And Dependent Care Expenses For Form 1040a Filers - Irs

What happens if you don't have a Schedule 2? If you don't file a Schedule 2 when required, it could result in an incomplete or incorrect tax return.

To receive the credit for Child and Dependent Care Expenses, the expenses had to have been paid for care to be provided so that you (and your spouse, if filing jointly) could work or look for work. If both spouses do not show "earned income" (W-2's, business income, etc.), you generally cannot claim the credit.

A qualifying individual for the child and dependent care credit is: Your dependent qualifying child who was under age 13 when the care was provided, Your spouse who was physically or mentally incapable of self-care and lived with you for more than half of the year, or.

Schedule 2: Supporting documentation for tax form 1040 if box 11b is checked. This Schedule is used to report additional taxes owed such as the alternative minimum tax, self-employment tax, or household employment taxes.

The credit rate phases down as income increases until it reaches 20% for families with an AGI of over $43,000, meaning the maximum credit rate available to families at this income level is $600 for one dependent or $1,200 for two or more dependents (20% of $6,000 in expenses).

You must have earned income throughout the year to qualify. Any money earned from pensions, foreign earned income, Social Security benefits, workers' comp, unemployment, investment income from interest or dividends or child support does not count.

For this purpose, your income is your “adjusted gross income” shown on your Form 1040, 1040-SR, or 1040-NR. For 2021, the 50-percent amount begins to phase out if your adjusted gross income is more than $125,000, and completely phases out if your adjusted gross income is more than $438,000.

You (and your spouse, if you're married) must have "earned income," meaning money earned from a job. Non-work income, such as investment profits, doesn't count. You must have paid for the care so that you could work or look for work.