Are Overnight Camps Tax Deductible
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<strong>Are</strong> <strong>Overnight</strong> <strong>Camps</strong> <strong>Tax</strong> <strong>Deductible</strong>?<br />
From Turbo<strong>Tax</strong> – July 2022<br />
Ah, good old summertime – what a wonderful relaxing time of the year.<br />
Unless you have kids, of course, in which case there’s a whirlwind of<br />
activity in your house as soon as school is out.<br />
But then comes the blessed time of summer camp, when peace is restored<br />
for at least a few days. Although camp can be expensive, keep in mind that<br />
some of those expenses may be tax deductible.<br />
Here’s the scoop:<br />
1. If you send the kids away to the mountains for a week, you won’t<br />
garner a tax deduction since overnight camps and programs don’t<br />
qualify. Summer day camps, however, qualify for the Child and<br />
Dependent Care Credit, as long as your child is under the age of 13<br />
at the end of the tax year (no age limit if they are disabled) and you<br />
are sending your child to camp so you can work.<br />
2. The Child and Dependent Care Credit enables you to work or go to<br />
school, so if you have a spouse at home to care for the children, then<br />
no deduction for camp. But if you are single, or you and your spouse<br />
both work, cha-ching, you’ll qualify for the tax credit.<br />
3. Sending the kids into the backyard to camp out doesn’t qualify as<br />
camp. You have to make payment for camp to a real institution or<br />
person, and you must include their address and identifying number<br />
on your tax return.<br />
4. Your transportation costs to get the kids to the camp location won’t<br />
qualify for the credit. But if the cost of transportation to and from<br />
camp is included in the fees, and the camp picks up and delivers,<br />
sweet – that qualifies for the tax credit.<br />
So if you qualify, what is the tax credit worth? To begin, tax credits are<br />
more valuable than tax deductions, since credits reduce your tax bill dollar<br />
for dollar, so the tax savings add up quickly. For the 2021 tax year only, the<br />
taxes you do in 2022, the Child and Dependent Care Credit ranges<br />
increased from 35% up to 50% (previously the credit ranged from 20% to<br />
35%) of what you spent on daycare up to the $8,000 limit for one child or<br />
up to the $16,000 limit for two or more kids. Your tax credit percentage<br />
depends on your adjusted gross income (AGI) so depending on your
income, you may get a tax credit up to $4,000 for one child and up to<br />
$8,000 for two or more kids.