Sponsors of dependent care assistance plans are required to notify plan participants of the total tax-free benefit they received through the plan during the calendar year by January 31, 2012.
The total benefit received must be reported on an individual’s W-2 form. Most plan sponsors use the W-2 form to satisfy as a notification. The maximum tax-free dependent care benefit an individual may receive is $5,000 if filing jointly or $2,500 if married and filing separately. Dependent care assistance plans must also satisfy certain nondiscrimination requirements and should be tested for nondiscrimination annually.





