Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Edition Rev. October 2020 1 page

Form W-10 — Dependent Care Provider's Identification and Certification

The IRS form parents use to collect a daycare, nanny or babysitter's taxpayer identification number for the child and dependent care credit.

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Form W-10 · Dependent Care Provider's Identification and Certification
The official Internal Revenue Service (IRS) form, edition Rev. October 2020 — blank
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Form W-10 (2020) Dependent Care Provider's Identification and Certification — page 1 of 1
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What is Form W-10?

Form W-10, Dependent Care Provider's Identification and Certification, is a one-page Internal Revenue Service (IRS) form that a parent or other taxpayer hands to the person or organization caring for their child or other dependent. The provider fills in Part I with their name, address and taxpayer identification number (TIN), then signs a certification, under penalties of perjury, that those details are correct.

You need those details if you plan to claim the credit for child and dependent care expenses on Form 1040 or 1040-SR, or if you receive benefits under your employer's dependent care plan. Either way, Form 2441, Child and Dependent Care Expenses, asks for the correct name, address and TIN of every care provider. The W-10 is not filed with your tax return: the form itself says to keep it for your records, as proof that you used due diligence in getting the information.

FileIt walks you and your provider through the W-10 and prints the answers onto the IRS's own official PDF (Rev. October 2020). It formats the SSN, ITIN or EIN correctly, checks the SSN box when needed, can pre-fill your name in Part II from the People records in your vault, and can send the form to your provider for e-signature. The signed PDF is saved in your vault, so it's there when you prepare Form 2441.

Who fills it
The dependent care provider completes and signs Part I; the parent requesting it may complete Part II.
Given to
Back to the parent or taxpayer who asked for it. It is not filed with the IRS.
When
When you start using a care provider, and before you prepare Form 2441 for the tax year.
Signatures
The provider signs and dates the certification in Part I.
Edition
Rev. October 2020
Agency
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

Who needs to fill out Form W-10?

  • Parents who pay a daycare center, preschool, after-school program or day camp and want to claim the child and dependent care credit.
  • Families who pay a nanny, au pair, babysitter or relative to look after a child so they can work or look for work.
  • Employees using an employer's dependent care plan, such as a dependent care flexible spending account, who must report their providers on Form 2441.
  • People paying for the care of a spouse or other dependent who can't care for themselves.
  • Care providers who have been asked to confirm their details: individuals, sole proprietors, businesses and tax-exempt organizations.
  • Anyone who wants a signed record showing they made a real effort to get a provider's correct TIN.

When to use Form W-10

  • When you first enroll a child with a new daycare, nanny, camp or after-school program, while it's easy to ask.
  • Before tax season, if you don't yet have each provider's name, address and TIN for Form 2441.
  • When a provider moves, changes its business name or gets a new EIN, so your records match what you report.
  • When your employer's dependent care plan asks you to identify the providers you were reimbursed for.
  • When a provider hasn't given you a letterhead invoice or other document showing its TIN.

What you need before you start

  • The provider's full name, or the legal name of the center or organization.
  • The provider's address: number, street and apartment number, city, state and ZIP code.
  • The provider's TIN: an SSN for individuals and sole proprietors, an ITIN for a resident or nonresident alien who isn't eligible for an SSN, or an EIN for other entities.
  • For a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization, no number: it writes "tax-exempt" instead.
  • Your own name and address, if you are leaving the form with the provider to fill in and return later.
  • A way for the provider to sign: FileIt's e-signature or a printed copy.

What’s on Form W-10

The 2020 edition has 1 page. FileIt asks for it in 3 parts, and it is signed by Dependent care provider:

  1. Part I: Dependent care provider's identificationDependent care provider
  2. Certification and signature of dependent care providerDependent care provider
  3. Part II: Name and address of person requesting Part I informationPerson requesting the information (parent)

How to fill out Form W-10, step by step

1 Part I: Dependent care provider's identification

The individual or organization providing the care completes this part. It asks for the name of the provider and its address, including the apartment number, city, state and ZIP code. Use the name the IRS knows for the TIN you give: a person's own name, or the legal name of a business or organization.

The box on the right holds the provider's taxpayer identification number. Individuals and sole proprietors normally give their Social Security number and check the box that says the number is an SSN. A provider who is a resident or nonresident alien without an SSN, and not eligible for one, gives an IRS individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN). Other entities, such as a daycare business, give their employer identification number (EIN). FileIt shows only the box for the kind of number you choose and checks the SSN box automatically.

2 Tax-exempt dependent care providers

A provider that is a tax-exempt organization described in section 501(c)(3) and exempt under section 501(a), such as many church-run or nonprofit centers, doesn't have to supply its TIN. It still completes the name and address lines and writes "tax-exempt" in the space for the number. In FileIt, choose the tax-exempt option and those words are printed in the TIN box for you.

3 Certification and signature of dependent care provider

The provider signs and dates the form to certify, under penalties of perjury, that the name, address and TIN shown are correct. The form notes that section 6109(a) requires a dependent care provider to give you a valid TIN, even if the provider isn't required to file a return, and that a provider who doesn't give a correct TIN may face a penalty unless the failure is due to reasonable cause (this doesn't apply to 501(c)(3) organizations).

4 Part II: Name and address of person requesting Part I information

Complete this part only if you are leaving the form with the provider to fill in and give back to you later. Enter your name, street address, apartment number, city, state and ZIP code, so the provider knows who the form belongs to. In FileIt this part is optional and your name can be filled in from your People record.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Sending Form W-10 to the IRS or attaching it to your tax return. It's a record you keep; you report the provider's details on Form 2441.
  • Writing the provider's name differently from the name that goes with the TIN, for example a nickname instead of a legal name.
  • Giving a business's EIN but the owner's personal name, or an SSN with a business name. The name and number should match.
  • Forgetting to check the SSN box when the number is a Social Security number.
  • Leaving the TIN blank for a nonprofit instead of writing "tax-exempt", or writing "tax-exempt" for a provider that isn't a 501(c)(3) organization.
  • Waiting until tax time to ask. Providers who have moved or closed are much harder to reach later.
  • Not getting a new form when a provider's address, name or number changes.

After you fill it out

Once the provider has signed and dated Part I, keep the completed Form W-10 with your tax records. The IRS says you can show due diligence by getting and keeping a properly completed W-10 from the provider, or one of the other sources the form lists: a copy of the provider's Social Security card, a recently printed letterhead or invoice showing the name, address and TIN, your employer's dependent care plan statement, or the W-4 your household employee gave you.

When you prepare your return, copy the provider's details onto Form 2441. If you report incorrect information and can't show the IRS that you used due diligence in trying to get it, you may not be allowed the credit or the exclusion for employer-provided dependent care benefits. If a provider won't give you the information, the form says you must still report certain details on Form 2441; the Instructions for Form 2441 explain what to do.

FileIt files the finished PDF in your vault, so every provider's W-10 is in one place when you need it. Ask for a fresh form whenever you change providers or a provider's details change.

Fill out Form W-10 online with FileIt

  1. Pick the person. Choose someone from People and FileIt fills in their name, date of birth, address and other details it already knows.
  2. Answer plain-language questions. One part of the form at a time, with the official help text beside each question — 14 fields in all. Your answers save as you go.
  3. Check the live preview. Watch your answers land on the real Internal Revenue Service (IRS) form, and let FileIt do any worksheet arithmetic.
  4. Generate the official PDF. FileIt prints your answers into the agency’s own PDF and files it in that person’s folder in your vault. Sign it, or send it for e-signature.

FileIt fills the form — it never files or submits anything for you. Deliver the finished form to whoever asked for it, the way the form’s instructions say.

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Form W-10: frequently asked questions

Do I file Form W-10 with my tax return?

No. The form says in bold: do not file Form W-10 with your tax return, keep it for your records. You use the information from it on Form 2441, Child and Dependent Care Expenses, which is filed with your Form 1040 or 1040-SR.

Who fills out Form W-10, the parent or the provider?

The provider fills out and signs Part I with its own name, address and TIN. The parent or other person asking for the information fills out Part II, but only when leaving the form with the provider to complete and return later.

Is my daycare required to give me its tax ID number?

According to the form, section 6109(a) requires a provider of dependent care services to give you a valid TIN, even if the provider isn't required to file a return, and a provider who doesn't may be subject to a penalty. A tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization is the exception: it writes "tax-exempt" instead of a number.

What TIN does a nanny or babysitter give?

An individual gives their Social Security number and checks the SSN box. If they are a resident or nonresident alien who doesn't have and isn't eligible for an SSN, they give an ITIN. A care business organized as an entity gives its EIN.

Do I need a W-10 if my provider gave me an invoice with its EIN?

Not necessarily. The W-10 is one way to show due diligence. The form also accepts a recently printed letterhead or invoice showing the provider's name, address and TIN, a copy of the provider's Social Security card, your employer's dependent care plan statement, or your household employee's Form W-4.

What if the provider refuses to fill it out?

The form says that if your provider doesn't comply with your request, you must still report certain information on Form 2441. See the Instructions for Form 2441 for what to include.

Can I fill out Form W-10 online?

Yes. FileIt lets you and your provider fill in the W-10 online, prints the answers onto the official IRS PDF and can send it to the provider for e-signature. The signed PDF is saved in your FileIt vault; FileIt does not send it to the IRS, and you don't need to either.

Is this the current version of Form W-10?

FileIt uses Rev. October 2020, the version on the IRS website when this form was added. The IRS posts any updates at its Form W-10 page.

Official sources

FileIt is not affiliated with or endorsed by Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or any government. This page explains the form in general terms and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Always read the official instructions, and check that you are using the edition the recipient accepts. Page last reviewed 2026-09-26.

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