[millie58]

OK, I just learned from my accountant that the refundable tax credit is only for newborn adoptions. I so want him to be wrong!! Anyone know if this is true. I will attempt to scope it out and see what I learn. I knew it was too good to be true.

[loveajax]

DianeS always knows the answers to these types of questions best. But I remembered that people also are eligible for the credit if they adopt a "special needs" child from foster care...here's a link that may be helpful:

NACAC | Post-Adoption Support

Hopefully, Diane will see this and weigh in!! Don't let him file yet until you get this cleared up!

[DannieAS]

I just went to a post-adopt meeting from our county and it also applies to children that are deemed special needs. So I think your tax man is wrong.

Also, I learned that 99.9% of tax people have no clue about the tax credit so double check everything and really hash it out with yoru tax person.

Diane needs to come here and answer a few questions...I also have one but will start a new thread for it.

[usisarah]

Look at the information/instructions for the credit on irs.gov I'm pretty sure your tax man is wrong. You should be able to take the credit for any child that is under 18, and for some people older than 18 that are special needs. If your child is special needs, you should be able to take the credit for the full amount even if you didn't spend that much. If the child is not special needs, you can still take the credit for the amout you spent, up to the limit set by the IRS.

[Longing2bMom]

He is wrong. The tax credit is for all ages. If the child is special needs than you can take the credit regardless of what expenses you paid. If the child is not special needs, then you can only take the credit up to the amount of your actual expenses.

Dannie is right that many, many tax professionals do not know about the credit or give incorrect information. I work for a very well respected accountancy firm and I had to educate our tax professionals on the credit before they did my taxes. They tried to tell me that I couldn't claim the credit because I had no adoption related expenses (adopted from foster care). They didn't believe me when I told them I automatically qualified because my daughter is designated special needs until they did the research and found out that I am right.

[DianeS]

Everyone on this thread is right - your tax man is wrong. Nowhere in the adoption tax credit language does it say it's just for one kind of adoption. On the contrary, international adoptions and adoptions of special needs children from foster care are mentioned specifically by name!

And the recently passed extension of the adoption tax credit (the one that made it refundable), applies to the entire tax credit, not just part of it. So that includes international adoptions and adoptions from foster care, just like the original credit does.

Did he have a reason for believing it was just for domestic newborn adoption? If so, post his reason and we'll happily show you where he's specifically incorrect.

Hope that helps!