Question : Tax benefits for estranged father who pays child support?
My children do not live with me but I pay their mother child support. Can I claim or deduct this from my federal taxes? What kinds of tax-sheltered or tax-deductible savings accounts can I open for them? Is there a site I can check out that would give me information on bettering my tax position based on my situation?
- asked by Michael B
All Answers:
Answer #1
You can claim alimony only - which is a load ofcrap. Its even more of a load of crap with theman is paying 3/4 of the kids support and the lazyass woman is working 4 hrs a day 4 days a weekwhile living ina $200K+ house and he lives in adoublewide!You need to find a tax guy who cananswer the legal issues of this.I hope you put aton of money into your 401K pre-tax!
- answered by Kelly K
Answer #2
Paying child support does not give you a deductionnor does it automatically allow you to claim thekids.In absense of a clause in a divorce decreeallowing you to claim the kids, the exemptions goto the custodial parent.
- answered by Wayne Z
Answer #3
Child support is not tax deductible to the payingparent, nor is it taxable to the recieving parent. So, no you cannot deduct or get any "credits" onyour tax return for the money you pay in childsupport. You may be able to claim the children asdependants, depending on your court or other cspaperwork. Sometimes the parents alternate years,where one parent claims the kids one year, and theother parent the next. Sometimes the paperworksays that only one parent gets to claim the kidsevery year. So check your court docs & other cspaperwork, and you might get to claim the kids forthe child tax credits, etc. You won't get EICcredits since they didn't live with you, but youcould get the other credits. If there is nosection in your paperwork on who gets to claim thekids, then the one that they lived with the mostpart of the year gets to claim them. AND if youhave court docs saying you get to claim the kids,it does not matter that they may have not actuallylived with you to claim them. It is the specialrule of divorced or seperated parents. So, checkyour court docs.
- answered by snjas1
Answer #4
As the non-custodial parent, you may be allowed toASK the mother to sign a form 8332 allowing you toclaim the $3400 exemption and child tax credit. The custodial parent does NOT have to agree.
- answered by v b
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