Are post adolesent educational expense payments tax deductable?

Question

After my divorce from my daughters mother she, the mother, was appointed the guardian. Big surprise! That was when my daughter was 7. When she started college the court in Alabama had reserved the right to review the case again and did so. They changed the child support to "Post Minority College Educational Expenses". My daughter files her own income tax and her mother is on disability so she receives a Pell Grant. My tax advisor says I can't claim my payments for college expenses because I don't claim her on my tax return but that she, my daughter, could use my expenses on her return as a deduction. Is this all correct? Is there no way I can get a deduction for these educational expenses without loosing the Pell Grant.

Answer 1

Your ta advisor is correct. If your daughter is not your dependent for tax purposes, then you can't claim her education expenses on your tax return. If she claims herself, she can claim the expenses for an education credit even if you are the one paying them.

Answer 2

Yes, s/he is correct. You can't claim ANY deductions or credits for someone that is not claimed as a dependent on your return.

Not only that, but you can't deduct child support in the first place, so I don't know why you would have thought you could deduct it now.

Also the Pell Grant is a need based government program. Your daughter gets it because she has demonstrated a need for financial assistance to attend college, not because your ex-wife is on disability.

Answer 3

particular it fairly is a tax deduction. the shape of the homestead could properly be a tax dedution too. that is not fairly completly deducted on the 1st 12 months, besides the undeniable fact that it's going to be depreciated via the existence of the loan.

Answer 4

Nobody can deduct them in this situation. Since you aren't claiming her as a dependent, you cannot deduct them. And since she isn't paying them, she cannot deduct them either.