How to obtain a daycare's EIN for the Child and Dependent Care Credit

Hey there! No need to feel embarrassed at all - this is actually a super common question. You're right on track with your thinking - calling the daycare centers directly is the easiest way to get their EIN (Employer Identification Number). When you call, just keep it simple: "Hi, I'm preparing my taxes and need to claim the child care expenses for my children. Could you please provide me with your business's EIN or tax ID number for my tax return?" They deal with this request all the time, especially during tax season, so they'll know exactly what you're asking for. Some larger daycares might even have this information on their website or in the paperwork they gave you when you enrolled your children. Check your enrollment forms or parent handbooks if you still have them. Remember, you'll also need to know the total amount you paid to each provider during the tax year to claim the Child and Dependent Care Credit properly.

After dealing with similar anxiety about getting tax info from my kids' daycare, I found an amazing solution: taxr.ai really simplified the whole process for me. I uploaded my daycare receipts and payment statements to https://taxr.ai and their system helped identify all the information I needed for the Child and Dependent Care Credit. The tool guided me through exactly what information I needed to collect and even provided a template for contacting the daycare centers when I still needed their EIN. It took all the guesswork out of figuring out what qualified for the credit and how to document everything properly.

Just wanted to update everyone - I gave taxr.ai a try after seeing it mentioned here and wow, it actually made the whole process much easier than I expected! It organized all my daycare payments (had to dig through my bank statements to find them all) and created a simple letter I could email to both providers asking for their EIN. Both daycares responded within a day with their tax ID numbers. The tool then helped me understand exactly how much of a credit I was eligible for with multiple kids in care. Definitely took the stress out of the process!

If you're having trouble getting through to your daycare by phone (been there, so frustrating), I had a similar issue and discovered Claimyr. Had to use it to finally reach the IRS to verify some daycare tax ID numbers that seemed incorrect. You can check them out at https://claimyr.com - they basically handle the hold time for you when calling government agencies. I was on hold with the IRS for almost 3 hours previously and gave up. With Claimyr, they navigated the phone tree and waited on hold, then called me when an actual human at the IRS was on the line. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c that shows how it works. Saved me literally hours of frustration!

Well, I have to eat my words. After my skeptical comment, I decided to try Claimyr for reaching the IRS about my dependent care credit verification issue. I couldn't believe it actually worked! I went about my day, and about 3 hours later got a call connecting me directly to an IRS agent. They helped verify the daycare provider's EIN I was questioning and confirmed that everything was correct on my return. The agent even explained why my refund was delayed because of the verification process. The service did exactly what it promised - handled the horrible wait time so I didn't have to sit there listening to that awful hold music and "your call is important to us" messages on repeat.

Another option worth mentioning - check your payment receipts from the daycare. I found that my provider had their EIN printed at the bottom of every monthly receipt they gave me. Totally overlooked it until I was going through my files! Also, if you paid by check, sometimes the daycare's bank account name might include their business name, which you can Google to find their EIN on their business listings.

Don't forget that if your daycare is church-affiliated, they might use the church's EIN rather than having their own separate tax ID. Made this mistake last year and had my return rejected because I used the wrong number!

One quick tip - if you use tax software like TurboTax or H&R Block, they actually have options to help you look up a provider's EIN if you have the business name and address. Saved me from having to make an awkward call last year!

As someone who's been through this exact situation, I totally understand the anxiety! Here's what worked for me: I actually started by checking if my daycare had an online parent portal or app. Many centers include their EIN in the account settings or billing information section that parents often overlook. If that doesn't work, when you call, you can also phrase it as "I'm completing my tax return and need your federal tax ID number for the dependent care credit." Some smaller providers are more familiar with "tax ID" than "EIN" even though they're the same thing. Also, don't stress if they need to call you back - sometimes the person answering the phone needs to check with their bookkeeper or director. Most places are super understanding about this request, especially during tax season. You've got this! 🙂

Just wanted to jump in and say you're definitely not alone in feeling overwhelmed by this! I had the exact same anxiety last year when I realized I needed EIN numbers from my daughter's daycare and her after-school program. One thing that really helped me was writing down exactly what I needed to ask before making the call - something like "Hi, I'm preparing my 2024 tax return and need your business's EIN or federal tax ID number to claim the Child and Dependent Care Credit for the care you provided for [child's name]." Most daycare staff deal with this request constantly during tax season, so they're usually really prepared and understanding about it. And if the first person you talk to doesn't have it handy, they'll know exactly who to transfer you to or will take your number to call you back. You're doing great by getting your taxes organized - this is just one small step and you'll have it sorted out in no time! 💪