Becky breaks down the adoption tax credit for this year in a clear, practical way.

She explains how the $17,280 credit works, including the new $5,000 refundable portion that can be claimed even if you owe no tax.

She walks through the key limitations, like the phase-out starting around $259,000 in income and the rule that you can’t claim the credit when adopting a spouse’s child.

Becky also covers how even unsuccessful adoption attempts can still qualify, and highlights a major benefit—when adopting hard-to-place children or sibling groups through the state, the adoption is free, and you can still claim the full credit amount.