As youngsters return to school in Cornwall, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding working parents they could save up to £2,000 per child per year to pay towards after-school clubs and other childcare services.

Around 100,000 families in region are eligible for Tax-Free Childcare, which can cut thousands of pounds off childcare bills.

To access the help, families have to pay into a Tax-Free Childcare account: for every £8 that they deposit, the UK Government makes a top-up payment of £2. The scheme is open to working parents, including the self-employed, who earn between the minimum wage and £100,000 per year and have children aged 0-11 years old. Families with a disabled child, aged 0-17 years old, can receive up to £4,000 in government support each year.

Childcare providers that have signed up to Tax-Free Childcare include nurseries, nannies, childminders and after-school clubs.

HMRC’s Deputy Chief Executive and Second Permanent Secretary, Angela MacDonald, said:

“As more parents across the country return to work and kids head back to school following the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic, there has never been a better time to sign up to Tax-Free Childcare.

“It takes just minutes to set up an account on our improved and more accessible Childcare Choices website and soon you could be receiving up to £2,000 per child towards the cost of childcare each year.”