When going through a divorce, there are many financial issues that spouses must address. Some of these financial issues have tax consequences, and other financial issues do not. One area where taxes come into play is support. Under Massachusetts Law, there are two categories of support.
The first category is alimony, which is the periodic payment of support by one spouse to another spouse for that other spouse’s support. Under the federal tax code, and Massachusetts tax law, the alimony paid by the payor spouse is tax deductible for the payor spouse, but taxable to the recipient spouse. That means that the alimony received by the recipient spouse is considered income, and it must be reported on that spouse’s tax returns.
The other category of support is child support, which is support paid by one spouse to another spouse for the support of the child(ren) of the marriage. Unlike alimony, child support is not tax deductible for the payor spouse, or taxable to the recipient spouse. Child support is considered a tax neutral payment.
Because of all the tax complexities of a divorce, it is important to speak with your attorney and tax professional so that you understand all of your financial rights and obligations under a divorce, and the tax consequences associated with these financial provisions.
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