Form 2441 Problem: Babysitter refusing to provide SSN for Child Care Expense deduction

You're definitely not being unreasonable! When someone provides childcare services, providing their SSN (or EIN if they have a business) is standard for tax purposes. This is because you're claiming a tax credit, and the IRS wants to ensure the provider is reporting that income. If she won't provide her SSN, you do have an option. You can still claim the credit by completing Form 2441 with all the information you have (her name and address) and attach a statement explaining that you requested the SSN multiple times but the provider refused to give it to you. According to IRS guidelines, you've made a "reasonable effort" to obtain the information. The IRS may follow up with you and possibly with her. They might accept your claim if they believe you made reasonable efforts, but there's also a chance they'll deny it. Either way, you've done nothing wrong by asking for her SSN - that's actually what you're supposed to do.

After fighting with the IRS over a similar issue last year, I discovered https://taxr.ai and it was seriously a game-changer for my childcare deduction problem. My babysitter also refused to give me her SSN, and I was totally lost about what to do with Form 2441. I uploaded my text messages showing I tried to get her information plus my payment records, and the system analyzed everything and created a perfect explanation statement to attach to my return. It even flagged that I needed to file Form 4506-T since I was missing the provider's TIN. Saved me hours of research and stress! The best part was that the IRS accepted my Child and Dependent Care Credit claim even without the babysitter's SSN. Might be worth checking out if you're in the same boat.

I wanted to follow up about my experience with taxr.ai after being skeptical in my previous comment. I decided to try it since I was in a similar situation with my son's after-school program refusing to give me their EIN for my Form 2441. I was honestly surprised by how helpful it was. The system actually looked at my documentation and created a customized statement explaining my situation. It even flagged that I had been calculating my eligible expenses incorrectly (I didn't realize the limit was $3,000 per child). My return was accepted with no issues, and I got the full credit I was entitled to. Just wanted to share since it actually worked for me despite my initial doubts.

If you're still having trouble with this, I went through the exact same thing with my daycare provider last year. After weeks of getting no response about her SSN, I tried https://claimyr.com to get through to an actual IRS agent to ask about my Form 2441 situation. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was on the phone with a real IRS representative in less than 30 minutes when I'd previously been hanging up after hours on hold. The agent confirmed I could still claim the Child and Dependent Care Credit without the provider's SSN as long as I showed I made a reasonable effort to get it and included all other information about the provider. They also gave me official documentation guidelines for the statement I needed to attach, which made a huge difference when I filed. Definitely saved me from missing out on a significant credit!

I need to publicly eat my words about Claimyr. After striking out with 6 failed attempts to call the IRS myself about my child care credits, I finally tried the service I was skeptical about. I got connected to an IRS agent in about 45 minutes (after waiting on hold for 3+ hours myself previously with no luck). The agent confirmed exactly what I needed to do with my Form 2441 when my provider wouldn't give their tax ID. They even emailed me the official guidelines for the statement I needed to include. Filed my return last week with the childcare credit and it was accepted without issues. I'd still prefer if the IRS just had enough staff to answer their phones, but this was a surprisingly effective solution to a frustrating problem.

My sister is an accountant and she says that technically the babysitter is required to provide either an SSN or an EIN if she's operating a business. If she's refusing, it's probably because she's not reporting that income on her taxes. My sister said the IRS doesn't look kindly on that. You definitely should claim what you're legally entitled to. Document EVERYTHING. Save those text messages showing you asked. Send one more message clearly stating it's for your tax filing purposes on Form 2441. Take screenshots. And next time, definitely get this sorted out beforehand with any childcare provider. My sister says to literally put it in writing before you start using any childcare service that you'll need their tax ID for claiming the Child and Dependent Care Credit.

The babysitter is 100% trying to avoid paying taxes. I used to babysit and nanny through college and definitely didn't report anything because it was all cash. BUT if someone had asked for my SSN for their taxes, I would've given it because that's fair - they're entitled to their credit. Just make sure you have her LEGAL first and last name and correct address. The IRS will almost certainly follow up with her, not you. When I filed with a missing provider tax ID, I got my full credit and never heard anything about it. My guess is they went after the provider instead.

I went through this exact situation two years ago with my daycare provider. Here's what worked for me: 1. Send one final formal request via text AND email (if you have it) specifically stating: "I need your SSN or EIN to complete Form 2441 for the Child and Dependent Care Credit on my tax return. This is required by the IRS for the $3,100 I paid you for childcare services in 2024." 2. When she doesn't respond, file your return anyway. Complete Form 2441 with her full legal name and address, leave the SSN field blank, and attach a statement explaining your reasonable efforts to obtain the information. 3. Your statement should include: dates you requested the SSN, method of contact (texts/calls), copies of your payment records (Zelle transactions), and mention that she provides childcare services to multiple families. The IRS accepted my claim without any issues. They likely flagged her for not reporting the income rather than penalizing me for missing information I genuinely tried to obtain. You've done nothing wrong by claiming a legitimate tax credit you're entitled to. Don't let her tax evasion cost you $650!