Can I write Daycare off on my taxes?

No, since the money comes out of your pay before taxes, you didn't pay any tax on that income. You can't get money back from the IRS that were not collected/taxed in the first place.

In another way, you already got your 'write off' since you use pretax money.

Before income taxes means that the amount will NOT be reported in the Box 1 of your W-2 form as a part your GROSS taxable income that you received during the tax year and that will NOT be subject to income tax for the tax year 2012 when the amount is used for the designated qualified child care expenses any amount NOT used for that purpose would have to be reported as tax able income by you on your correctly completed 1040 income tax return for the tax year.

Or if you would have to pay some extra additional amount with after income tax forms for you qualified day care expense then that amount would be used on your 1040 income tax return to get some amount of the child care tax credit for the tax year 2012 during the 2013 tax filing season.

Hope that you find the above enclosed information useful. 06/28/2012

Since you are not being taxed on it you cannot turn it around and take a deduction on your taxes also. That is double dipping. If you pay 3k from your pretax account and 4k out of pocket you can use the towards a deduction (not dollar for dollar).

if this is before your income taxes are calculated that is providing you a tax advantage right off the bat,

there would be no way you would get any of it refunded to you

No double dipping.

If you are having it withheld pre-tax, you do NOT get a second second deduction on your taxes.