Houston Estate Planning and Elder Law Attorney Blog
The average family can face high expenses when adopting a child. But there are tax benefits that will provide some help, as reported in The Middlesboro (KY) Daily News article, "Thinking of adopting? Be prepared for expenses." Among the benefits are an exclusion from your taxable income of employer-provided adoption assistance and a credit for qualified adoption expenses.
The maximum tax benefit you can claim for this year is $13,400, which is reduced if your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) exceeds $201,010 and is completely phased out if your MAGI is $241,010 or more. The adoption tax credit is nonrefundable, so it's limited to your tax liability for the year.
For example, say that you pay $13,400 in qualified adoption expenses in 2015, and your employer reimburses you for $3,400. If you meet the MAGI guidelines, you can exclude $3,400 from your gross income for 2015 and can claim $10,000 ($13,400 minus $3,400) for the adoption tax credit.
Remember that tax credits reduce your income tax liability dollar-for-dollar. Although these tax benefits will reduce your overall cost of adoption, you still have to find the money to defray all of the expenses of the adoption. The first step is to plan ahead, and as far ahead as you possibly can. The adoption process frequently takes a year or more, so you'll have some time to prepare. Select an adoption agency that best meets your needs, and get an estimate of the total costs. Once you have this, you can determine how to meet these costs.
Don't take out a loan from your 401(k) because a 401(k) loan will likely reduce the account's growth potential—which you need for retirement. There's also a loan from a bank, but that's still another debt to have to pay. If you were to wait for, say, two years, you might put away a specific amount every month in an "adoption fund" in an investment that's highly liquid and offers significant preservation of principal.
Adopting is wonderful, and a child will change your life. Planning ahead and carefully considering your options for paying for the adoption can help you do so with financial sense, now and in the future.
Reference: Middlesboro Daily News (November 4, 2015) "Thinking of adopting? Be prepared for expenses"