Form 2441

Department of the Treasury 

Internal Revenue Service (99) 

 Child and Dependent Care Expenses

▶ Attach to Form 1040, 1040-SR, or 1040-NR.

▶ Go to www.irs.gov/Form2441 for instructions and the 

latest information.

. . . . . . . . . . 

1040 

1040-SR 

2441

◀

1040-NR 

OMB No. 1545-0074

2020

Attachment 

Sequence No. 21

Name(s) shown on return Your social security number

You cannot claim a credit for child and dependent care expenses if your filing status is married filing separately unless you meet the 

requirements listed in the instructions under “Married Persons Filing Separately.” If you meet these requirements, check this box.

Part I Persons or Organizations Who Provided the Care—You must complete this part. 

(If you have more than two care providers, see the instructions.)

1 (a) Care provider’s 

name

(b) Address 

(number, street, apt. no., city, state, and ZIP code)

(c) Identifying number

(SSN or EIN)

(d) Amount paid 

(see instructions)

Did you receive 

dependent care benefits?

No ▶ Complete only Part II below.

Yes ▶ Complete Part III on the back next.

Caution: If the care was provided in your home, you may owe employment taxes. For details, see the instructions for Schedule 2 

(Form 1040), line 7a.

Part II Credit for Child and Dependent Care Expenses

2 Information about your qualifying person(s). If you have more than two qualifying persons, see the instructions.

(a) Qualifying person’s name

First Last

(b) Qualifying person’s social

security number

(c) Qualified expenses you

incurred and paid in 2020 for the

person listed in column (a)

3 Add the amounts in column (c) of line 2. Don’t enter more than $3,000 for one qualifying person

or $6,000 for two or more persons. If you completed Part III, enter the amount from line 31 . . 3 

4 Enter your earned income. See instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 

5 If married filing jointly, enter your spouse’s earned income (if you or your spouse was a student 

or was disabled, see the instructions); all others, enter the amount from line 4 . . . . . . 5 

6 Enter the smallest of line 3, 4, or 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 

7 Enter the amount from Form 1040, 1040-SR, or 1040-NR, line 11 . 7 

8 Enter on line 8 the decimal amount shown below that applies to the amount on line 7.

If line 7 is:

Over

But not 

over

Decimal 

amount is

$0—15,000 .35

15,000—17,000 .34

17,000—19,000 .33

19,000—21,000 .32

21,000—23,000 .31

23,000—25,000 .30

25,000—27,000 .29

27,000—29,000 .28

If line 7 is:

Over

But not 

over

Decimal 

amount is

$29,000—31,000 .27

31,000—33,000 .26

33,000—35,000 .25

35,000—37,000 .24

37,000—39,000 .23

39,000—41,000 .22

41,000—43,000 .21

43,000—No limit .20

8 X .

9 Multiply line 6 by the decimal amount on line 8. If you paid 2019 expenses in 2020, see the

instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 

10 Tax liability limit. Enter the amount from the Credit Limit Worksheet 

in the instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 

11 Credit for child and dependent care expenses. Enter the smaller of line 9 or line 10 here and 

on Schedule 3 (Form 1040), line 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 

For Paperwork Reduction Act Notice, see your tax return instructions. Cat. No. 11862M Form 2441 (2020)
Form 2441 (2020) Page 2

Part III Dependent Care Benefits

12 Enter the total amount of dependent care benefits you received in 2020. Amounts you received as 

an employee should be shown in box 10 of your Form(s) W-2. Don’t include amounts reported as 

wages in box 1 of Form(s) W-2. If you were self-employed or a partner, include amounts you 

received under a dependent care assistance program from your sole proprietorship or partnership . 12 

13 Enter the amount, if any, you carried over from 2019 and used in 2020 during the grace period. 

See instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 

14 Enter the amount, if any, you forfeited or carried forward to 2021. See instructions . . . . . 14 ( ) 

15 Combine lines 12 through 14. See instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 

16 Enter the total amount of qualified expenses incurred in 2020 for the 

care of the qualifying person(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 

17 Enter the smaller of line 15 or 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 

18 Enter your earned income. See instructions . . . . . . . . 18 

19 Enter the amount shown below that applies to you.

• If married filing jointly, enter your spouse’s 

earned income (if you or your spouse was 

a student or was disabled, see the 

instructions for line 5).

• If married filing separately, see 

instructions.

• All others, enter the amount from line 18.

} . . . . . . . 19 

20 Enter the smallest of line 17, 18, or 19 . . . . . . . . . . 20 

21 Enter $5,000 ($2,500 if married filing separately and you were 

required to enter your spouse’s earned income on line 19) . . . 21 

22 Is any amount on line 12 from your sole proprietorship or partnership?

No. Enter -0-.

Yes. Enter the amount here . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 

23 Subtract line 22 from line 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 

24 Deductible benefits. Enter the smallest of line 20, 21, or 22. Also, include this amount on the

appropriate line(s) of your return. See instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 

25 Excluded benefits. If you checked “No” on line 22, enter the smaller of line 20 or 21. Otherwise, 

subtract line 24 from the smaller of line 20 or line 21. If zero or less, enter -0- . . . . . . . 25

26 Taxable benefits. Subtract line 25 from line 23. If zero or less, enter -0-. Also, include this amount 

on Form 1040 or 1040-SR, line 1; or Form 1040-NR, line 1a. On the dotted line next to Form 1040 

or 1040-SR, line 1; or Form 1040-NR, line 1a, enter “DCB” . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 

To claim the child and dependent care 

credit, complete lines 27 through 31 below.

27 Enter $3,000 ($6,000 if two or more qualifying persons) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 

28 Add lines 24 and 25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 

29 Subtract line 28 from line 27. If zero or less, stop. You can’t take the credit. Exception. If you paid 

2019 expenses in 2020, see the instructions for line 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 

30 Complete line 2 on the front of this form. Don’t include in column (c) any benefits shown on line

28 above. Then, add the amounts in column (c) and enter the total here . . . . . . . . . 30 

31 Enter the smaller of line 29 or 30. Also, enter this amount on line 3 on the front of this form and 

complete lines 4 through 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 

Form 2441 (2020)