Do I adopt a tax credit when adopting a child?

Adopting a child can be a rewarding and enriching experience for both the child and adoptive parents. If you welcomed an adopted child into your family, you may wonder how this change affects your individual tax return.The good news is if you adopted, or even tried to adopt, you may qualify for a tax credit. The maximum adoption tax credit and exclusion for 2014 is $13,190 per child.To qualify for this credit, the expense must directly relate to the adoption, and be reasonable and necessary. The most common expenses that qualify include court costs, adoption fees, travel and attorney fees.Also, if you adopted a special-needs child you may be able to take the credit, although you didn’t pay any qualified adoption expenses. You can’t claim a credit and exclusion on the same expense. Income limits to the tax credits and exclusions exist.Tax credit you receive may reduce your tax to zero. If your credit exceeds your tax, though, you won’t receive any additional amount as a refund. Instead, you can carry that credit forward up to five years or until the credit runs out, whichever comes first.When filing your taxes use Form 8839 with your Form 1040 to report qualified adoption expenses.If you need assistance with this topic or other complex tax issues, contact the tax accountant professionals at Patrick & Robinson CPAs: Office@CPAsite.com or (904) 396-5400.