can paid child support be wrote off on your taxes?

Question

well, I see this has opened a bigger issue! This is my step-child. we do not have legal custody and abide by the support order. every stitch of clothing, every shoe, every haircut, etc, etc, etc...we supply during the 4 days a week he stays in our house. He is not a burden to our society and is very well cared for. It would be nice to gain a small credit for doing what we are supposed to-especially when so many dishonest people gain so much through the government! But, alas, that wrong does not make a child support credit right. Oh, well!

Answer 1

Your "additional info" puts a new light on this. I'm reading in IRS Pub 17 the rules for dependents. The section on "Children of divorced or separated parents" says "In most cases, because of the residency test, a child of divorced or separated parents is the qualifying child of the custodial parent." And farther down, there's a line that says "the custodial parent is the parent with whom the child lived for the greater part of the year. The other parent is the non-custodial parent." It doesn't say anything about who has LEGAL custody, but rather who has PHYSICAL custody. If you have him 4 days a week, sounds like that would be you assuming it's all year. Is it also 4 nights? If so, you should be OK to claim him as a dependent. But be prepared to prove that you really have him that much.

Child support is not deductible. But you might be able to claim him as a dependent.

Answer 2

Unfortunately No. This is something that I would love to see Congress deal with. It is thousands of dollars a year, for the best cause, and for those who do pay their child support, there is less burden on society. I believe Congress should initiate at least a Credit for Child Support paid. It doesn't even have to be dollar for dollar, just against the taxable amount.

Alimony is.
Good Luck & Blessing

Answer 3

NOPE Paying baby help is satisfying your legal, ethical, emotional and fiscal legal duty to love and help your infants Paying alimony or upkeep is tax deductible Failure to pay baby help no longer in basic terms makes one a deadbeat determine and scum of the earth, yet ought to earn some detention center time for contempt of court docket mom and dad are able to take a tax exemption for each baby, yet relies upon on who the youngster lives with, what the court docket directs or mom and dad agree upon. in certainty, mom and dad can share the tax advantages, via the custodial determine (who baby lives with) taking the youngster for HOH and EITC, whilst the noncustodial determine takes the youngster's exemption. The noncustodial determine won't be able to use the youngster to declare HOH and/or EITC. there is likewise a baby tax credit and later, training credit as quickly as you're determining to purchase college.

Answer 4

The person who pays child support cannot take a deduction on their income tases and the person who receives the child support does not report it as income.

Answer 5

No but you might be able to claim earned income credit for children not living with you.

Answer 6

No, and it's an absolute travesty!

I've been fighting on that front for years.

The money I pay is "child care expense", and thus should be tax-deductible.

Answer 7

You don't have to count it as income if you don't want to, but since the person who is paying out, doesn't have to pay taxes on it either... Be careful when you do. It could get complicated.

Answer 8

I don't know for sure but you should'nt, you helped bring them kids in to this world an YOU not us taxpayers should have to pay for them little darlings.