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About Tax Free Childcare
How the Scheme Works
Tax Free Childcare is a UK government scheme that helps working parents with childcare costs. For every £8 you pay into your childcare account, the government adds £2 - giving you a 25% top-up.
Example: Monthly childcare invoice of £1,000
- You pay into account: £800
- Government adds: £200 (25% top-up)
- Total available: £1,000 to pay your provider
- Your effective saving: £200 per month (20% discount)
This means you effectively get a 20% discount on your childcare costs, as you only pay 80% of the invoice amount while the government covers the remaining 20% through their top-up.
How to use your childcare account
- Set up your Tax Free Childcare account on the government website
- Pay money into your account (you can set up regular payments)
- The government automatically adds the 25% top-up
- Pay your childcare provider directly from your account
- Your provider must be registered with Ofsted or equivalent
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for Tax Free Childcare, you must meet all of the following criteria:
Work Requirements
- You (and your partner if you have one) must be in paid work
- Earn at least £2,000 per year (after tax and National Insurance)
- Each earn no more than £100,000 per year
Child Requirements
- Your child must be 11 or under
- Or 17 or under if they have a disability
- You must live in the UK
Childcare Provider
- Must be registered with Ofsted (England)
- Or equivalent in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland
- Includes nurseries, childminders, after-school clubs
Important: You cannot get Tax Free Childcare if:
- You already get Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit, or Universal Credit
- Your partner gets any of these benefits
- You're getting 30 hours free childcare and want to keep it
Note: You may be better off with these other schemes - use the government's childcare calculator to compare.
Self-employed and other work situations
If you're self-employed, you're eligible if you expect to earn at least £2,000 over the next 3 months. This includes:
- Freelancers and contractors
- Business owners
- Those with variable income
If you're on maternity, paternity, adoption, or sick leave, you may still be eligible if you plan to return to work.
Contribution Limits
There are maximum amounts the government will top up each year:
Standard Limits (per child)
Disabled Children (per child)
Quarterly Payments
The government adds money to your account every 3 months (quarterly). The maximum government top-up per quarter is:
- Standard: £500 per child per quarter (you pay up to £2,000 to get this)
- Disabled children: £1,000 per child per quarter (you pay up to £4,000 to get this)
What happens if I exceed the limits?
If your childcare costs exceed the annual limits:
- You can still use the scheme up to the maximum limit
- You'll need to pay any additional costs directly to your provider
- The calculator below will warn you if your costs approach these limits
For example, if your annual childcare costs are £3,000 for one child, you can get the maximum £500 government top-up, but you'll pay the extra £500 directly.
Multiple children calculations
If you have multiple children, the limits apply to each child separately:
- 2 children: Up to £4,000 government top-up per year (£2,000 each)
- 3 children: Up to £6,000 government top-up per year (£2,000 each)
- Mix of standard and disabled children: Higher limits apply to disabled children