finance calculator
Child & Dependent Care Credit Calculator
Estimate the child and dependent care credit with expense caps, earned income limits, and the AGI-based credit rate.
Results
- Allowed expenses after cap
- $6,000
- Expenses after earned income limit
- $6,000
- Credit rate
- 20.00%
- Estimated credit
- $1,200
How to use this calculator
- Enter filing status and number of qualifying persons.
- Enter care expenses and earned income (both spouses for MFJ).
- Enter AGI to set the credit rate and review the estimated credit.
Inputs explained
- Spouse income
- For MFJ, allowable expenses are capped at the lower of each spouse’s earned income.
- AGI
- Drives the rate reduction from 35% down to 20%.
How it works
Eligible expenses are capped at $3,000 for one qualifying person and $6,000 for two or more.
For joint filers, expenses are limited to the lesser of each spouse’s earned income (spouse earnings can be zero).
Credit rate starts at 35% and drops by 1% for each $2,000 (or part) of AGI over $15,000, down to a 20% floor at $43,000+.
Credit = limited expenses × rate (nonrefundable).
When to use it
- Estimating your child/dependent care credit before filing.
- Testing how AGI changes impact the credit rate.
- Checking if higher care expenses are capped by income or per-person limits.
Tips & cautions
- If AGI is high, the rate bottoms at 20%; raising expenses may still help if under the cap.
- For exact filing, reference the IRS credit form/instructions; this is a simplified estimator.
- Nonrefundable credit; does not account for FSA interplay or special rules (student/spouse not working, disability).
- Simplified 35%–20% schedule; verify against the current-year IRS table for precise calculations.
Deep dive
Estimate your child and dependent care credit with expense caps, earned income limits, and the 35%–20% AGI-based rate.
Enter qualifying persons, care expenses, earned income, and AGI to see your allowed expenses and estimated credit.
Related calculators
finance
Child Tax Credit Calculator (2025)
Estimate 2025 child tax credit amounts with current-law rules: phaseouts, nonrefundable credit, refundable additional credit, and total benefit.
finance
Earned Income Credit (EIC) Calculator
Estimate your earned income credit based on filing status, income, and number of qualifying children using simplified current thresholds.
finance
Paycheck Calculator by State
Estimate take-home pay with federal, state, and FICA withholding plus pre/post-tax deductions using a simple state rate lookup.