# I apparently signed up for a dependent care account when I shouldn't have. Now what?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-apparently-signed-up-for-a-dependent-care-account-when-i-shouldnt-have-now-what/346033>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 25, 2006, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-apparently-signed-up-for-a-dependent-care-account-when-i-shouldnt-have-now-what/346033 "2006-02-25T04:15:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![aaelghat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c5a1d2/32.png) [@aaelghat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaelghat)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-apparently-signed-up-for-a-dependent-care-account-when-i-shouldnt-have-now-what/346033/1 "2006-02-25T04:15:39Z")

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Here’s the deal. I have four kids.

Because my spouse doesn’t work, I always thought I wasn’t eligible to sign up for my employer’s dependent care account (where you can pay for dependent care expenses with pre-tax deductions).

Then, for some reason, last year I got it into my head that I could not only sign-up for the plan and get reimbursed for pre-school expenses, but for previous years I should file amended tax returns because I had been missing out on the dependent care income tax deduction for my kids preschool expenses. I never filed amended returns, but I was going to do that later this month.

So at the beginning of last year I signed up for the dependent care plan. I also signed up for it for 2006. However, while preparing to do my 2005 taxes and reading the part about the dependent care credit it said:

> [@](#):
>
> If you paid someone to care for your child or other qualifying person so you (and your spouse if filing a joint return) could work or look for work in 2005, you may be able to take the credit for child and dependent care expenses.

[Instructions for IRS Form 2441](http://www.irs.gov/instructions/i2441/ar01.html#d0e49)

That’s when I realized I may not eligible for the benefit. When I’m doing my taxes with TurboTax, it added my dependent care contributions as taxable income because my wife doesn’t work.

So here’s the question. Since my wife is a stay-at-home mom, and doesn’t earn an income, am I disqualified from getting benefits from my employer’s dependent care account for which I’ve contributed? I’ve had deductions taken for the dependent care account, but haven’t yet submitted any claims to get reimbursed. By the same token am I eligible for any dependent care credits or deductions on my tax return? Thanks in advance.