Can I Deduct My Child Support From My Income Tax?
The simple answer to the question of whether you can deduct your child support from your income tax is no. As a general rule, the Internal Revenue Service does not allow you to deduct the child support you pay from your taxable income. If you receive child support payments, on the other hand, the payments are not taxable income to you.
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Child Support Payments
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If you pay child support payments, you cannot deduct them from your income taxes. Because the payments are taxed on the payer's end, though, the recipient of child support payments does not have to report them as taxable income.
Alimony
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Alimony falls under different rules than child support, and it is taxable for you in the year you receive it.
Mixed Payments
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If you receive child support and alimony as one payment, you must separate the two on your tax return.
Earned Income Tax Credit
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You may be able to take an earned income tax credit for your dependent if you have custody of the child, have very low income and will be between the ages of 25 and 65 at the end of the filing year.
Dependent
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You may only claim your child as a dependent if you are the custodial parent (who has legal custody of the child for more than half the year), unless your divorce decree says otherwise.
Treasury Offset Program
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If you are behind on your child support payments and are due a tax refund, the refund amount may be taken to pay off your debt.
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