If you only have a minute:

• The 2025 Adoption Tax Credit is $17,280.00
• $5,000.00 of that is now refundable!
• International, foster care, domestic infant, and kinship adoption all qualify for this credit.

The 2025 federal tax season is officially open – whether we like it or not. Wednesday, April 15, 2026, is the deadline for filing your 2025 federal taxes, and it’s coming quickly!

In case you haven’t heard the good news, this year’s Adoption Tax Credit has some great positive changes that will benefit adoptive families who finalized in 2025.

Most families can prepare their own taxes using reliable online tools or software. However, sometimes adoption brings a few layers that may benefit from professional preparation by an Adoption Tax Credit specialist.

Whether you choose to file your own federal taxes and claim the Adoption Tax Credit or you enlist professional services, these tips can help you maximize your claim if you have adopted recently.

10 Tips for Filing for the 2025 Adoption Tax Credit

  1. This year’s adoption tax credit is $17,280, with $5,000 of that now refundable!
  2. If you don’t use the full Adoption Tax Credit in the first year, you can carry it over for up to five (5) years.
  3. No international adoption qualifies as a Special Needs Adoption for the Adoption Tax Credit.
  4. Stepparent adoption (adoption of a married spouse’s child) does not qualify for the Adoption Tax Credit.
  5. Embryo adoption (also known as embryo donation) does not qualify for the Adoption Tax Credit.
  6. Kinship adoptions are eligible for the Adoption Tax Credit.
  7. Use IRS tax form 8839, Qualified Adoption Expenses, to calculate and claim the credit on your tax return.
  8. Make a copy of all foreign documents needed for the Adoption Tax Credit. Originals may fade over time.
  9. Keep all the documentation you use for filing for the Adoption Tax Credit for seven (7) years.
  10. If you use a tax professional to prepare your taxes, look for an enrolled agent who has experience filing the Adoption Tax Credit.

We are thrilled to offer many more helpful resources as you navigate your federal taxes at the CreatingaFamily.org resource page, Adoption Tax Credit.

Do you need education credits? Take the CreatingaFamilyEd.org Adoption Tax Credit online course. When you pass the quiz with an 80%, you get a Certificate of Completion that your agency can count toward your learning requirements!

Image Credits: Filip Filipovic-https://www.pexels.com/photo/10-euro-bill-7873653/; Seventyfourimages-https://app.envato.com/photos/145e7a12-ad17-4106-b2d9-f464fabcde92