Claim Child Support?

Candance Bahr and Ginita Wall, CPA, CFP®

Q & A

Question:

Last year my divorce with my husband became final and he started paying me child support for our two daughters. I’m going back to school, and the child support and alimony make up a lot of the money I get (I also work part-time). This is the first year I’m filing my taxes as a single since we got married. Do I have to claim the child support as income? Will I end up with a high tax bill?

— Joyce S.

 Answer:

Joyce, we have some good news and bad news for you. First, you do not have to pay income tax on the child support payments that you receive. Likewise, your ex-husband cannot deduct those child support payments from his taxes. Unfortunately, we can’t give you entirely good news. You mentioned that you also receive alimony. In a weird quirk of the tax code, alimony payments are considered income, and they must be reported on your taxes. (Your ex can deduct alimony payments from his taxes.)

 If you haven’t been setting aside a little money for taxes, you may get hit with an unpleasant tax bill when you file. Next year, we suggest that you put 15% or more of each alimony payment into a savings account that you can use to cover your taxes. You’ll need to send estimated taxes to the taxing authorities on a quarterly basis.

 Also, when you file your taxes, make sure you take as many tax breaks as possible. If you have primary custody of your children, you can claim them as dependents, unless you waived that right in your divorce agreement. You may also be able to file as Head of Household status, which will give you even more tax breaks.

 One last note: make sure your ex-husband doesn’t also claim your daughters as dependents. Only one parent can claim the children, and typically the parent with the most custody has that right. Of course, you can always negotiate. If your ex-husband would get a bigger tax break by claiming the girls as dependents, you may be able to negotiate a higher alimony payment or even financial assistance with your school bills.

You can get a lot of your divorce questions answered by attending your next local  Second Saturday Divorce Workshop.

This article is reprinted with permission from the Women's Institute for Financial Education (WIFE.org), creator of the Second Saturday Divorce Workshops. Founded in 1988, WIFE is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing financial education for women. Copyright 2019