26 U.S.C. § 45F — Employer-provided child care credit

submitted 25 years ago by Pub. L. 107-16 to r/title-26-INTERNAL-REVENUE-CODE · 1,533 words · no verdicts yet

in plain englishAI-generated · not legal advice

This law gives employers a tax credit for helping provide child care for workers. The credit covers a share of building or running a child care facility, plus referral service costs, up to a yearly dollar cap. Employers must pay back part of the credit if they stop using the facility for child care too soon.

(a) In general: The credit equals the sum of 40% (50% for an "eligible small business") of qualified child care expenditures, plus 10% of qualified child care resource and referral expenditures, for the year. (b) Dollar limit: The credit cannot exceed $500,000 ($600,000 for an eligible small business) per year. Starting in tax years after 2026, those dollar amounts rise each year with inflation. (c) Definitions: A "qualified child care expenditure" is money spent to build, fix up, or expand property used as a child care facility, as long as it is depreciable and is not part of anyone's home; money spent running a child care facility, including staff training, scholarships, and extra pay for trained staff; or money paid under a contract for child care services for employees, directly or through a middleman. These expenses cannot exceed the fair market value of the care. A "qualified child care facility" is a facility mainly used to provide child care, that meets all state and local licensing laws, unless it is the operator's own home. To count for a specific employer: the facility must be open to that employer's workers; if child care is the facility's main business, at least 30% of enrolled kids must be employees' children; and using the facility cannot favor highly-paid employees. A facility can still qualify even if it is jointly owned or run with other people. A "qualified child care resource and referral expenditure" is money paid under a contract to give employees referral services for child care; this does not count if it favors highly-paid employees. An "eligible small business" is one that passes the gross-receipts test in section 448(c), but using a 5-year period instead of the usual 3-year period. (d) Recapture if the facility stops being used for child care: If a "recapture event" happens by the end of a tax year, that year's tax goes up by the recapture percentage times the credit the business would have gotten without its acquisition or construction expenses. The recapture percentage is 100% in years 1–3 after the facility opens, 85% in year 4, 70% in year 5, 55% in year 6, 40% in year 7, 25% in year 8, 10% in years 9–10, and 0% in year 11 and later. A recapture event is: the facility stops being a qualified child care facility, or the owner sells their interest in it — unless the buyer agrees in writing to take on the recapture responsibility, in which case the buyer is treated as the taxpayer going forward. The extra tax only applies to credit that actually reduced taxes owed; unused credit gets adjusted through normal carryover rules instead. This recapture tax does not count as regular tax for other credit calculations. There is no recapture if the facility closes because of a casualty loss that gets rebuilt within a reasonable time. (e) Special rules: Related companies treated as one employer under certain rules are treated as a single taxpayer here. Similar pass-through rules apply for estates and trusts. For partnerships, the credit is divided among partners under Treasury rules. (f) No double benefit: If this credit applies to a property, the property's basis drops by the credit amount; if recapture happens later, the basis goes back up by the recaptured amount. No other tax break can be claimed for the same expenses this credit already covers. (g) Regulations: The Treasury must issue guidance to carry out this section, including guidance on referral contracts and jointly-owned facilities.

the actual law source: uscode.house.gov ↗public domain

(a) In general

For purposes of section 38, the employer-provided child care credit determined under this section for the taxable year is an amount equal to the sum of—

(1)

40 percent (50 percent in the case of an eligible small business) of the qualified child care expenditures, and

(2)

10 percent of the qualified child care resource and referral expenditures,

of the taxpayer for such taxable year.

(b) Dollar limitation

(1) In general

The credit allowable under subsection (a) for any taxable year shall not exceed $500,000 ($600,000 in the case of an eligible small business).

(2) Inflation adjustment

In the case of any taxable year beginning after 2026, the $500,000 and $600,000 amounts in paragraph (1) shall each be increased by an amount equal to—

(A)

such dollar amount, multiplied by

(B)

the cost-of-living adjustment determined under section 1(f)(3) for the calendar year in which the taxable year begins, determined by substituting “calendar year 2025” for “calendar year 2016” in subparagraph (A)(ii) thereof.

For purposes of this section—

(1) Qualified child care expenditure

(A) In general

The term “qualified child care expenditure” means any amount paid or incurred—

(i)

to acquire, construct, rehabilitate, or expand property—

(I)

which is to be used as part of a qualified child care facility of the taxpayer,

(II)

with respect to which a deduction for depreciation (or amortization in lieu of depreciation) is allowable, and

(III)

which does not constitute part of the principal residence (within the meaning of section 121) of the taxpayer or any employee of the taxpayer,

(ii)

for the operating costs of a qualified child care facility of the taxpayer, including costs related to the training of employees, to scholarship programs, and to the providing of increased compensation to employees with higher levels of child care training, or

(iii)

under a contract with a qualified child care facility to provide child care services to employees of the taxpayer, or under a contract with an intermediate entity that contracts with one or more qualified child care facilities to provide such child care services.

(B) Fair market value

The term “qualified child care expenditures” shall not include expenses in excess of the fair market value of such care.

(2) Qualified child care facility

(A) In general

The term “qualified child care facility” means a facility—

(i)

the principal use of which is to provide child care assistance, and

(ii)

which meets the requirements of all applicable laws and regulations of the State or local government in which it is located, including the licensing of the facility as a child care facility.

Clause (i) shall not apply to a facility which is the principal residence (within the meaning of section 121) of the operator of the facility.

(B) Special rules with respect to a taxpayer

A facility shall not be treated as a qualified child care facility with respect to a taxpayer unless—

(i)

enrollment in the facility is open to employees of the taxpayer during the taxable year,

(ii)

if the facility is the principal trade or business of the taxpayer, at least 30 percent of the enrollees of such facility are dependents of employees of the taxpayer, and

(iii)

the use of such facility (or the eligibility to use such facility) does not discriminate in favor of employees of the taxpayer who are highly compensated employees (within the meaning of section 414(q)).

A facility shall not fail to be treated as a qualified child care facility of the taxpayer merely because such facility is jointly owned or operated by the taxpayer and other persons.

(3) Qualified child care resource and referral expenditure

(A) In general

The term “qualified child care resource and referral expenditure” means any amount paid or incurred under a contract to provide child care resource and referral services to an employee of the taxpayer.

(B) Nondiscrimination

The services shall not be treated as qualified unless the provision of such services (or the eligibility to use such services) does not discriminate in favor of employees of the taxpayer who are highly compensated employees (within the meaning of section 414(q)).

(4) Eligible small business

The term “eligible small business” means a business that meets the gross receipts test of section 448(c), determined—

(A)

by substituting “5-taxable-year” for “3-taxable-year” in paragraph (1) thereof, and

(B)

by substituting “5-year” for “3-year” in paragraph (3)(A) thereof.

(d) Recapture of acquisition and construction credit

(1) In general

If, as of the close of any taxable year, there is a recapture event with respect to any qualified child care facility of the taxpayer, then the tax of the taxpayer under this chapter for such taxable year shall be increased by an amount equal to the product of—

(A)

the applicable recapture percentage, and

(B)

the aggregate decrease in the credits allowed under section 38 for all prior taxable years which would have resulted if the qualified child care expenditures of the taxpayer described in subsection (c)(1)(A) with respect to such facility had been zero.

(2) Applicable recapture percentage

(A) In general

For purposes of this subsection, the applicable recapture percentage shall be determined from the following table:

If the recapture event occurs in:	The applicable recapture percentage is:
Years 1–3	100
Year 4	85
Year 5	70
Year 6	55
Year 7	40
Year 8	25
Years 9 and 10	10
Years 11 and thereafter	0.

(B) Years

For purposes of subparagraph (A), year 1 shall begin on the first day of the taxable year in which the qualified child care facility is placed in service by the taxpayer.

(3) Recapture event defined

For purposes of this subsection, the term “recapture event” means—

(A) Cessation of operation

The cessation of the operation of the facility as a qualified child care facility.

(B) Change in ownership

(i) In general

Except as provided in clause (ii), the disposition of a taxpayer’s interest in a qualified child care facility with respect to which the credit described in subsection (a) was allowable.

(ii) Agreement to assume recapture liability

Clause (i) shall not apply if the person acquiring such interest in the facility agrees in writing to assume the recapture liability of the person disposing of such interest in effect immediately before such disposition. In the event of such an assumption, the person acquiring the interest in the facility shall be treated as the taxpayer for purposes of assessing any recapture liability (computed as if there had been no change in ownership).

(4) Special rules

(A) Tax benefit rule

The tax for the taxable year shall be increased under paragraph (1) only with respect to credits allowed by reason of this section which were used to reduce tax liability. In the case of credits not so used to reduce tax liability, the carryforwards and carrybacks under section 39 shall be appropriately adjusted.

(B) No credits against tax

Any increase in tax under this subsection shall not be treated as a tax imposed by this chapter for purposes of determining the amount of any credit under this chapter or for purposes of section 55.

The increase in tax under this subsection shall not apply to a cessation of operation of the facility as a qualified child care facility by reason of a casualty loss to the extent such loss is restored by reconstruction or replacement within a reasonable period established by the Secretary.

(e) Special rules

For purposes of this section—

(1) Aggregation rules

All persons which are treated as a single employer under subsections (a) and (b) of section 52 shall be treated as a single taxpayer.

(2) Pass-thru in the case of estates and trusts

Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary, rules similar to the rules of subsection (d) of section 52 shall apply.

(3) Allocation in the case of partnerships

In the case of partnerships, the credit shall be allocated among partners under regulations prescribed by the Secretary.

(f) No double benefit

(1) Reduction in basis

For purposes of this subtitle—

(A) In general

If a credit is determined under this section with respect to any property by reason of expenditures described in subsection (c)(1)(A), the basis of such property shall be reduced by the amount of the credit so determined.

(B) Certain dispositions

If, during any taxable year, there is a recapture amount determined with respect to any property the basis of which was reduced under subparagraph (A), the basis of such property (immediately before the event resulting in such recapture) shall be increased by an amount equal to such recapture amount. For purposes of the preceding sentence, the term “recapture amount” means any increase in tax (or adjustment in carrybacks or carryovers) determined under subsection (d).

(2) Other deductions and credits

No deduction or credit shall be allowed under any other provision of this chapter with respect to the amount of the credit determined under this section.

(g) Regulations and guidance

The Secretary shall issue such regulations or other guidance as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this section, including guidance to carry out the purposes of paragraphs (1)(A)(iii) and (2)(C) of subsection (c).

Source credit: (Added Pub. L. 107–16, title II, § 205(a), June 7, 2001, 115 Stat. 50; amended Pub. L. 107–147, title IV, § 411(d)(1), Mar. 9, 2002, 116 Stat. 46; Pub. L. 119–21, title VII, § 70401(a)–(f), July 4, 2025, 139 Stat. 212, 213.)

history & why it existsrecord from the source credit

2001Enacted · Pub. L. 107-16 · 115 Stat. 50
2002Amended · Pub. L. 107-147 · 116 Stat. 46
2025Amended · Pub. L. 119-21 · 139 Stat. 212, 213

A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by Pub. L. 107-16 on 2001-06-07.

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