Child care expenses in Canada can only be claimed when a dependent child is properly added and linked to the claim.
Step 1: Confirm You Have Dependents Added
First, make sure your profile is set up correctly.
Inside your return:
Click the top right corner where your name appears
Select My Profile
Answer Yes to the dependent question
Click Next to save
If this is set to No, the child care expenses option will remain locked.
Step 2: Check the Dependent Information
Next, go to the Dependent Information section.
Make sure of the following:
The dependent is added to your return
The Relationship is set to Child
Many users accidentally select Parent, which prevents child care expenses from being enabled.
Step 3: Enable the Dependant Children Claim
Under the dependent questions:
Answer Yes to
Would you like to claim the amount for dependant children for [Child’s Name]?
This step is required for CRA child care expense claims.
Step 4: Add the Child Care Expenses Form (T778)
Once the above steps are complete:
Use the search bar inside your return
Search for T778
Select T778 – Child Care Expenses
You will now be able to enter your child care expense details.
