Why do I need to enter my child care provider information?

If the child care provider information is not entered, your e-filed tax return that has a Child and Dependent Care Credit on it may be rejected. If the return is accepted by the IRS, the credit may later be disallowed unless you can prove due diligence in trying to obtain the child care provider information.

You need to get your child care provider's Employer Identification number (EIN) or Social Security number (SSN) to include on your tax return if you're claiming the Child and Dependent Care Credit.

There are some exceptions to the requirement to get your child care provider's EIN or SSN. The exceptions are:

• Your care provider is a tax-exempt organization
• You lived abroad in 2025 and this is a foreign care provider
• Your care provider refused to give it to you
• Your care provider moved and is unavailable