What Documents Do I Need to File for the Adoption Tax Credit? - Weekend Wisdom

Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption, Foster & Kinship Care

01/24/26

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Having the right documentation, signed, dated, and completed, is crucial to maximizing the claim and avoiding delays or audits. But before we jump into the actual documents, let's start with the big changes to this year's adoption tax credit, because these are important details for families to know this year.

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Previous Episode

The 2025 Adoption Tax Credit

January 21

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51m

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Let us know about your adoption journey

Did you finalize an adoption in 2025 or within the last several years? Are you eligible to claim the Adoption Tax Credit? Listen to this conversation about the 2025 Adoption Tax Credit. Our guests are Becky Wilmoth, an Enrolled Agent and Adoption Tax Credit Specialist with Bill’s Tax Service, and Josh Kroll, the Adoption Subsidy Resource Center coordinator at Families Rising.

In this episode, we discuss:

What is the Adoption Tax Credit for adoption being claimed on 2025 federal taxes?
What is different about this year’s Adoption Tax Credit?
How would you claim the Adoption Tax Credit if you get a tax refund every year?
What types of adoptions are included or excluded in the Adoption Tax Credit?
Are kinship adoptions covered? Are kinship guardianship arrangements/expenses covered?
- What if the relative child was never involved with the foster care system?
Can you claim the Adoption Tax Credit for each adoption you complete, even if you completed them in the same year?
What is a Qualified Adoption Expense for purposes of the Adoption Tax Credit 2025?
When can you claim the Adoption Tax Credit for:
- Domestic Private/Infant Adoption
- International Adoption
- Re-adoption in the US for International Adoption
- Foster Care Adoption
- Kinship Adoption
For purposes of filing the Adoption Tax Credit, what qualifies as a Special Needs Adoption?
How does the Adoption Tax Credit differ for adoptions from foster care?
What does the IRS accept as proof of “special needs” in foster adoptions?
- What is a $0 subsidy agreement?
Can you reclaim your expenses for an adoption that did not result in a placement (that is, a failed adoption)? How?
What income level (Modified Adjusted Gross Income) is excluded from claiming the Adoption Tax Credit in 2025?
How long can the credit be carried over?
What if you didn’t claim the Adoption Tax Credit when eligible?
Will the Adoption Tax Credit offset self-employment tax?
How does the Secure Act impact us if we are claiming the Adoption Tax Credit for 2025 taxes?
What should you do if the child’s Social Security Number is unavailable when you file?
How does the Adoption Tax Credit work in conjunction with employee adoption benefits?
If you adopt, can you still claim the Child Tax Credit?
Do you need to send any documentation for the Adoption Tax Credit to the IRS when you file your taxes?
- What type of documentation should you keep in your records? For how long?
How to advocate for refundability? https://adoptiontaxcredit.org

Resources:

Adoption Tax Credit - Creating a Family Resource Page
Claiming the Federal Adoption Tax Credit 2015-2024 - Families Rising

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Next Episode

How to Talk with Our Kids About the Difficult Parts of Their Stories

January 28

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52m

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Talking about the difficult parts of our child's story, like abuse or prenatal substance exposure, can be overwhelming. Kelly Weidner, the co-founder and Executive Director of Haven Adoptions & Family Services in Ambler, PA. She has 28 years of experience in foster care, residential care, and adoption, which will help us navigate these challenging conversations with our kids.

In this episode, we discuss:

What kinds of issues do we mean when we say “difficult parts” of a child’s story? What are some of the everyday challenging conversations that adoptive parents must tackle?
Why is it necessary to introduce these potentially painful, complex issues to our kids?
Why are parents reluctant to talk about these issues?
What steps should adoptive parents take when choosing to start these conversations? Where do they start?
What is a Lifebook, and how can parents use them to introduce and build on the story as their child grows?
- What should be included?
- How does a Lifebook differ between the types of adoption?
- What if your child wants to bring their Lifebook to school or show it to people outside the family?
What language can you use with young children to lay the groundwork for later, with more details filled in as they grow?
How would a parent start the conversation about being conceived during a rape or abusive relationship, across several ages or stages, to build understanding?
As another example, should we tell our kids about abuse or neglect that happened to them if they don’t remember it? How?
Should you tell a child that her birth mother’s use of drugs or alcohol during pregnancy might be the cause of their learning disabilities?
How do you help your child understand how much of his story he should share with others outside the family?
What if you don’t believe the birth mother’s story of what happened?
What if you don’t know the details of what happened, just that something “big” did happen?
How can adoptive parents help their children understand that they are more than the difficult parts of their history and that they are not doomed to repeat their birth parents' mistakes?
What are some practical tips for supporting our kids after we’ve had to share hard-to-hear information?