Needed: Post-Summertime Eligible Dependent Care Expense Ideas

August 30, 2010 10:29 AM

YNMA, obviously... wife and I overestimated our dependent care expenses this year...by a lot. I have to come up with valid expenses, for the remainder of 2010, that we can occur to cover 3K remaining in our account. Any ideas? We did the camp thing this summer, but ended up not signing up for a few of them from our original budget. Our son is in kindergarten at a private school, so we're past the time we can pay for tuition out of this account. PLEASE HELP!!!! Thanks mefite nation!!!
posted by littleredwagon to Work & Money (13 answers total)

music lessons.
posted by Ironmouth at 10:31 AM on August 30, 2010

Response by poster: Ohhhh...good one!
posted by littleredwagon at 10:35 AM on August 30, 2010

Can you pre-pay his tuition at the private school for next year?

Sport lessons: ice skating, skiing, gynamistics, ballet. Few schools/activiites will refuse a pre-payment
posted by zia at 10:51 AM on August 30, 2010

Response by poster: Tuition expenses are valid through PreK. Sports lessons...another good one!
posted by littleredwagon at 10:58 AM on August 30, 2010

Can you not get reimbursed for tuition from this account?
posted by bluedaisy at 11:14 AM on August 30, 2010

Go on a second honeymoon and leave your child with a trusted caregiver for as long as the money lasts.
posted by CathyG at 11:18 AM on August 30, 2010

Did your son just start kindergarten now? If you've paid PreK tuition or other daycare at any time this calendar year, for care that occurred in this calendar year, out of another account, you can submit a reimbursement claim.

After-school programs, at his school or otherwise, should be covered as well.
posted by expialidocious at 11:26 AM on August 30, 2010

Best answer: Horseback riding? I don't know how old you have to be for that, though. It's just one of the experiences I've always wished I had under my belt, even if it had been as a little-kid experience.

Swimming?
posted by XMLicious at 11:48 AM on August 30, 2010

Oh, martial arts is another one.
posted by XMLicious at 11:49 AM on August 30, 2010

In our area there are hourly daycare places, like "Gimme a Break" where I live. You can use them as drop in babysitting for shopping, dates, days when the regular school is closed, etc. Ours let us bank up hours on account and use them as we need them. Definitely counts as daycare.
posted by cross_impact at 11:54 AM on August 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

Can you fix this problem by lowering or eliminating your DCA contribution? If your DCA is like mine, you can adjust your withholding once during the calendar year, then change it again during open enrollment in November or thereabouts.
posted by Sublimity at 1:08 PM on August 30, 2010

Best answer: umm, I think some of these suggestions are not going to be reimbursable activities. While aftercare and before care is eligible, I think you'd need to show that a weekend art camp or piano lessons are enabling you and your spouse to go to work. I have no idea how closely these are audited (either by the IRS or your administrator), but I wonder if a private piano teacher is willing to give you her SSN so that you can put her down as a childcare provider.

Check with your FSA administrator or HR department. One thing worse than losing up to $3k is paying for expensive lessons out of pocket on top of it.
posted by Sukey Says at 1:18 PM on August 30, 2010

I'm late to the party, but you can find eligible expenses in IRS publication 503 (pdf). And if you have a change in your expenses during the year, your company might allow you to change what's being deducted.
posted by Wet Hen at 8:13 AM on September 11, 2010