Before you start:
- In most cases the Married Filing Separate filing status will impact the ability to claim the credit. See Instructions for Form 8839 for full details.
- If the modified AGI is greater then the phase out limit on the 8839 line 8 the credit will not generate.
Calculations and limitations addressed in this article may be impacted by inflation adjustments for the year. To see the IRS annual inflation adjustments for tax year 2021 and 2022 see here.
Follow these steps to generate Form 8839:
- Go to Screen 37, Adoption Credit (8839).
- Enter the adopted child's personal information under the Eligible Children section:
- First and last name
- ID number (SSN, ATIN, or ITIN)
- Date of birth
- Select any of the applicable boxes under the Eligible Children section.
- Enter the expenses in the appropriate fields under the Qualified Adoption Expenses Paid in subsection.
- Enter any Prior Year Information, if applicable.
Follow these steps to enter the limited qualified adoption expenses:
- Go to Screen 37, Adoption Credit (8839).
- Select the child in the top-left panel under Child.
- In the subsection Prior Year Information, enter the applicable amount in Limited qualified adoption expenses.
- If the taxpayer filed a prior year Form 8839 with the adoption of this child, enter the limited qualified adoption expenses from the appropriate line of the Form 8839, in the prior year(s).
- Limited qualified adoption expenses is the mandatory field to trigger Form 8839, Line 3 to be marked Yes.
