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Adoption Tax Credit Ending

Attention prospective adoptive families who are currently in the process of adopting: without legislative action, the federal Adoption Tax Credit will expire on Dec. 31, 2011. Please show your support to ensure this generous federal tax credit is available to you and others who may finalize their adoptions after this date.

For the past 14 years, adoptive families have been able to offset some of the costs related to their adoptions by applying for the federal Adoption Tax Credit (up to $13,170 depending on family income and expenses). Unless the tax credit is extended by Congress, it will no longer be available to adoptive families beginning Jan. 1, 2012.

Last year, representatives introduced The Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act of 2009 (H.R. 213), a bill to extend the Adoption Tax Credit. Since January 2009, there's been no action on H.R. 213; it remains under review by the House Committee of Ways and Means. In order for the tax credit to be enacted, it needs to be moved out of this committee and voted into law.

To obtain access to this tax credit for adoptions finalized in 2011, we urge you to take action. Please do not miss this vital opportunity to substantially reduce the cost of your adoption.

How You Can Help

Please take action to help bill H.R. 213 pass into law and extend the federal Adoption Tax Credit.

1) Call or E-mail:

Please call or click on the links below to e-mail the following members of the House of Representatives Committee of Ways and Means and urge them to review H.R. 213 and support the Adoption Tax Credit by approving the bill (sample letter templates below):

Oregon residents: please also ask your local representative to support H.R. 213. As of June 29, 2010, there are no Oregon representatives in support of the bill. Click here for help determining who your representative is.

Washington residents: please also ask your local representative to support H.R. 213 (click here for help determining who your representative is). You can also appeal the following representatives, who already support H.R. 213, to urge their peers in the Ways and Means Committee to act in favor of the bill:

You can track the progress of H.R. 213 on Thomas.loc.gov or Govtrack.us.

2) On Facebook:

You can also show your support for extending the Adoption Tax Credit and follow its progress by joining the following pages on Facebook and posting your thoughts:

Sample Letters

Feel free to copy and paste the following letter as templates for your e-mail. There are additional letter templates at the Adoption Tax Credit Wiki.

Letter for Members of Ways and Means Committee

Dear Representative _____________:

As part of your duties as a member of the House Committee of Ways and Means, I respectfully urge you to review and support the Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act of 2009 (H.R. 213), a bill to repeal the sunset clause that ends the federal Adoption Tax Credit this year.

Up until this year, American families could make their adoptions more affordable by applying for the federal Adoption Tax Credit, which would offset some of the costs of adopting a child. Without your help, they will no longer be able to do so after Dec. 31, 2010.

Especially in these difficult financial times, families in your state and nationwide would appreciate the continued access to the federal tax credit, which would allow them to move forward with their plans to adopt a child. As you probably know, the cost of adoption can be prohibitive for many families. Extending the Adoption Tax Credit would allow more families the chance to adopt.

In 2007, members of the House of Representatives and the Senate attempted to have similar bills enacted to extend the Adoption Tax Credit. These bills languished and stalled in the House Committee of Ways and Means and the Senate Committee on Finance. Please do not let that happen again.

Please don't delay the dreams of families who would like to build a family through adoption beyond the end of this year. Please review H.R. 213 USE S. which will repeal the sunsetting of the Adoption Tax Credit in the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001.

With respect,
Your Name and Address

Letter for Oregon Representatives

Dear Representative _____________:

As a member of your district, I urge you to be the first Oregon Representative to support the Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act of 2009 (H.R. 213), a bill to repeal the sunset clause that ends the federal Adoption Tax Credit on Dec. 31, 2010.

Currently under review of the House Committee of Ways and Means by your colleague Earl Blumenauer and others, the bill has seen no action since January 2009. Even though it will affect Oregon families for years to come, no Oregon Representative has yet to co-sponsored the bill. I wholeheartedly encourage you to remedy this oversight.

Up until this year, American families could make their adoptions more affordable by applying for the federal Adoption Tax Credit, which would offset some of the costs of adopting a child. Without your help, they will no longer be able to do so after Dec. 31, 2010.

Especially in these difficult financial times, families in your state and nationwide would appreciate the continued access to the federal tax credit, which would allow them to move forward with their plans to adopt a child. As you probably know, the cost of adoption can be prohibitive for many families. Extending the Adoption Tax Credit would allow more families the chance to adopt.

Please don't delay the dreams of families in your district who would like to build a family through adoption beyond the end of this year. Please support H.R. 213 USE S. which will repeal the sunsetting of the Adoption Tax Credit in the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 and extend the federal Adoption Tax Credit.

With respect,
Your Name and Address

Letter for Washington Representatives

Dear Representative _____________:

As a member of your district, I urge you to join representatives Cathy McMorris Rogers (WA-5) and Brian Baird (WA-3) in supporting the Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act of 2009 (H.R. 213), a bill to repeal the sunset clause that ends the federal Adoption Tax Credit on Dec. 31, 2010.

This bill will affect Washington families for years to come. It’s currently under review of the House Committee of Ways and Means by your colleagues Jim McDermott, Dave Reichert and others and has seen no action since January 2009. I wholeheartedly encourage you to remedy this oversight.

Up until this year, American families could make their adoptions more affordable by applying for the federal Adoption Tax Credit, which would offset some of the costs of adopting a child. Without your help, they will no longer be able to do so after Dec. 31, 2010.

Especially in these difficult financial times, families in your state and nationwide would appreciate the continued access to the federal tax credit, which would allow them to move forward with their plans to adopt a child. As you probably know, the cost of adoption can be prohibitive for many families. Extending the Adoption Tax Credit would allow more families the chance to adopt.

Please don't delay the dreams of families in your district who would like to build a family through adoption beyond the end of this year. Please support H.R. 213 USE S. which will repeal the sunsetting of the Adoption Tax Credit in the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 and extend the Adoption Tax Credit.

With respect,
Your Name and Address

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