Dependent Care Flexible Spending Arrangement (DCFSA) contributions are limited to $5,000 per plan year ($2,500 limit for married filing separately tax status). Lower contribution limits may be specified by individual FSA plans.
The Child and Dependent Care Credit (CDCC) provides a maximum tax credit of 35% of eligible child care expenses. This percentage incrementally decreases above an adjusted gross income (AGI) of $15,000 down to 20% above an AGI of $43,000. Taxpayers can claim up to a maximum of $3,000 of expenses for a single child (producing a tax credit between $600 to $1,050) or a maximum of $6,000 of expenses for two or more children (producing a tax credit between $1,200 to $2,100). This tax credit is non-refundable.
Dependent care benefits excluded or deducted from income, including pre-tax contributions to DCFSAs, reduce the dollar limit for calculating the CDCC tax credit by an equal amount. Contributions to DCFSAs are generally more favorable than claiming the maximum CDCC for taxpayers with AGI greater than $43,000. Notably, the choice is not mutually exclusive and taxpayers may potentially benefit from both DCFSA contributions and any remaining available CDCC tax credit.