How to Deduct Alimony Payments From Taxes

Video Transcript

"You and your spouse are getting divorced, and your spouse makes less money than you do, and has a need for some support, and you're going to have the ability to pay your spouse, and you've heard that sometimes payments like this are deductible, and sometimes they're not. Hello, I'm Robert Todd, and I'm here to answer the question, How to deduct alimony payments from taxes? Generally speaking, the payor of alimony payments, gets to deduct those taxes, from his or her return, and the recipient of the alimony, has to pay taxes on the alimony received. There are some general rules such as, if you and your spouse file a joint return, during the year you filed the joint return, you cannot deduct alimony payments. Likewise, if you and your spouse continue to have a joint household, for the time that you have a joint household, you cannot deduct what is called alimony payments. Again, if you are trying to disguise child support payments as alimony payments, they are not deductible, so if you have a question in this regard, you may consider hiring a certified public accountant, or a tax lawyer, or a qualified family law lawyer, to assist you in making sure, what you are attempting to deduct as alimony payments, are in fact alimony payments. I'm Robert Todd, and thank you for watching."