Claim a tax credit for sending your child to camp

Many people overlook this credit.  Parents often send their kids to church camp or other types of camps during the summer and fail to take advantage of it.

If you sent your children to camp during the summer, you might qualify to claim the child and dependent care tax credit. 

You must meet the following requirements to claim the credit:

• You (and your spouse if you are married) must have earned income during the year.  However, special rules apply to full-time students and individuals who are handicapped and can’t take care of themselves.
• You paid the camp expenses for the care of one or more qualifying persons.
• You paid for the camp so that you could work or look for work.
• If you are married, you have to file a joint income tax return to claim the credit, although there is an exception for couples aren’t living together.

The credit can be as much as 35 percent of the cost of the camp, depending on the parent’s income

David Zubler is a tax accountant in East Tennessee, the author of three books, and a philanthropist.  All of his proceeds from the books go to a charitable foundation he created for underprivileged children.  He is also the founder of Your Tax Care which provides tax education. David can be reached for questions and consultation at yourtaxcare.com.