I have a question about claiming a tax credit without a childcare EIN (Employer Identification Number). Can I claim a childcare deduction if I don’t have the childcare provider EIN?

It depends. You cannot claim a deduction for childcare expenses. To claim the child and dependent care credit, you must identify the care provider on Form 2441. So, you must have the care provider’s:

• Name
• Address
• Taxpayer identification number — unless the care provider is a not-for-profit, like a church or school

The taxpayer identification number should be either:

• For an individual — Social Security number (SSN) or individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN)
• For an organization — Employer identification number (EIN). If the care provider is a not-for-profit, you don’t need the taxpayer identification number. Instead, write “exempt”where the form asks for the number.

Keep a Form W-10 that the childcare provider completes. If the provider does’t give you the information, complete the entries you can on Form W-10, Line 1. Enter “See attached statement”in the columns for which you don’t have information. Then, attach a statement to your return. In the statement, explain why your care provider didn’t give you the information.