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Adoption Tax Credit Survives Fiscal Cliff

January 22, 2013

There is good news for taxpayers who have recently adopted a child or are planning to adopt a child in the near future: the adoption tax credit, which I have discussed in previous posts, has survived the fiscal cliff. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, which was passed by Congress and signed by President Obama on January 1, 2013, permanently extends the adoption tax credit. 

In general, the credit allows parents to apply the ordinary and necessary expenses involved with adoption, including attorney fees, travel expenses, adoption fees and court costs, against their federal tax liability. Because the maximum amount of the applicable credit is indexed for inflation, the amount changes from year to year. For 2012, the maximum credit is $12,650 per adopted child.

There are, however, some income restrictions. The tax credit begins to phase out at income levels that reach $189,710. Any taxpayer with an adjusted gross income over $229,710 is prohibited from utilizing the credit.

One potentially negative change is that the credit is no longer “refundable”, which means that it can only be applied toward existing tax liability. For example, if your tax liability for 2012 is $8,000, the credit can be used against that entire amount. However, because the credit is not refundable, the taxpayer will not receive a refund of the additional $4,650 that the credit provides for. If the credit were refundable, which it was for tax years 2010 and 2011, the taxpayer would receive additional $4,650 as a refund from the IRS.

Care should be taken when claiming the credit because there are numerous procedural steps that need to be met. In addition, there are expense substantiation requirements, however the substantiation rules are relaxed to some extent with regard to taxpayers who adopt children with special needs. Moreover, taxpayers who claim the credit will increase the likelihood that they will face an Internal Revenue Service audit. As a result, I strongly suggest consulting with a tax professional to determine how to calculate the credit and properly claim it on your tax return. For more information, please see the IRS website.

 

Matthew Grosh is an attorney at Russell, Krafft & Gruber, LLP in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He received his law degree and LL.M. in Taxation from Villanova University