Dependent Care FSA vs Child Care Credit Planner 2026

See what a dependent care FSA, the child and dependent care credit, or a mix of the two comes to for your family in 2026, before you choose an FSA amount.

Both changed for 2026. The FSA limit rose to $7,500 per household, and the credit rate rose to as much as 50%. The same childcare dollars can’t count for both, so with two or more children a $7,500 FSA leaves nothing for the credit. Which comes to more depends on your bracket, your state and your AGI. This planner works it out.

Inside: an Excel workbook with live formulas (Planner, a what-if table from $0 to $7,500, a care and claims log, Rates, Sources), an offline browser version that saves your figures in your own browser and prints a summary, and a quick-start guide with a worked example. Works in Excel 2016 or later, Google Sheets and any modern browser.

It counts Social Security and Medicare savings up to the wage base, your plan’s maximum, the lower earner’s pay and the nonrefundable credit, and flags each trap in plain words.

For working parents paying for childcare. Estimates for planning only, not tax, legal or financial advice. Rules checked against official sources on 2 November 2026; check them before you act. Not affiliated with the IRS.