Childcare Tax Credit and FSA Calculator (2026)
Estimate your 2026 federal child and dependent care credit, Ohio's credit and a dependent care FSA, and see which saves your family more.
Childcare tax calculator, tax year 2026
How Much Can the Childcare Tax Credit and an FSA Save You?
Estimate the federal child and dependent care credit, Ohio's credit and a dependent care FSA for your family, and see which saves more.
Up to $7,500 for 2026, if your employer offers one.
The credit can't be more than this. It's on last year's return if your income is similar.
An estimate, not tax advice. The credits are nonrefundable, so they only lower tax you owe: without your federal tax figure the federal credit shown is the most it could be, and Ohio's credit is capped at an estimate of Ohio tax (2.75% of income above $26,050). The FSA estimate assumes your pay is under the Social Security wage limit. The rules behind it are in our guide to childcare tax credits and FSAs.
How This Calculator Works
- Applies the 2026 federal credit rates: 50% of up to $3,000 in costs for one child or $6,000 for two or more, phasing down to 35% and then 20% as income rises.
- Counts dependent care FSA savings as federal income tax at your bracket, 7.65% payroll tax and Ohio's 2.75% rate, up to the 2026 limit of $7,500.
- Every FSA dollar comes off the costs the credit can count.
- Adds Ohio's credit: 25% of the federal credit under $40,000 of income, or 100% under $20,000.
The full explanation, with every source: Childcare tax credits and dependent care FSAs in 2026