Should Alimony be deductible on tax returns?
I'm going through a divorce right now and I'm confused about the tax implications of alimony. My divorce will be finalized next month, and according to the agreement, I'll be paying my ex around $2,500 monthly. My accountant mentioned something about alimony possibly being tax deductible, but then backtracked and said it depends on when the divorce is finalized? I'm trying to plan my finances for next year and need to know if I can deduct these payments on my 2025 taxes. I've tried looking online but got conflicting information - some sites say yes, others say no. Does anyone have experience with this? What's the current rule about deducting alimony payments?
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Rudy Cenizo
The deductibility of alimony payments depends entirely on when your divorce agreement was finalized. There was a major change with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that took effect in 2019. If your divorce agreement is finalized after December 31, 2018, alimony is NOT tax-deductible for the payer, and the recipient doesn't have to report it as income. This is the current rule that would apply to your situation since you mentioned your divorce will be finalized next month. However, if a divorce agreement was finalized before January 1, 2019, alimony IS tax-deductible for the payer, and the recipient must report it as income (unless the agreement was modified after that date and specifically states that the new rules apply). Unfortunately for your situation, you won't be able to deduct those $2,500 monthly payments on your taxes.
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Natalie Khan
•Wait, so this is different than child support too, right? I pay both and always get confused about what's what for tax purposes.
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Rudy Cenizo
•Yes, alimony and child support are treated differently for tax purposes. Child support has never been tax-deductible for the payer or taxable income for the recipient. It's completely separate from the alimony rules. Prior to 2019, alimony was deductible by the payer and taxable to the recipient, creating a tax advantage in many cases. But for divorces finalized after December 31, 2018, alimony follows the same tax treatment as child support - not deductible by the payer and not taxable to the recipient.
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Daryl Bright
I was in a similar situation last year and was totally confused about the alimony deduction rules. I used https://taxr.ai to help me figure out what to do with my post-2018 divorce decree. The tool analyzed my divorce agreement documents and confirmed that my payments weren't deductible under the new tax laws. It also helped me identify some other tax benefits I could claim as a newly single filer that partially offset the loss of the alimony deduction. The document analysis feature is super helpful because it can review your specific divorce decree and tax situation rather than just giving generic advice.
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Sienna Gomez
•How does this actually work? Like do you just upload your divorce documents and it tells you what's deductible? Does it explain WHY certain things aren't deductible anymore?
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Kirsuktow DarkBlade
•Sounds interesting but I'm always skeptical of these tax tools. How accurate was it compared to what an actual CPA would tell you? Did you end up verifying the information with a professional?
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Daryl Bright
•You upload your documents and it analyzes the specific language in your divorce agreement, highlighting the parts that impact your taxes. It explained that my post-2018 alimony wasn't deductible because of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act change, and showed me exactly which sections of my agreement were relevant. I actually did verify with my accountant afterward, and she confirmed everything the tool told me was accurate. She was surprised at how detailed the analysis was - it caught some things about my property settlement that had tax implications that weren't obvious. Saved me money on billable hours with her since I already had the important questions lined up.
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Sienna Gomez
Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai for my own situation. It was actually really helpful! I uploaded my divorce decree from 2023 and some other financial docs, and it quickly confirmed that my alimony payments aren't deductible (bummer). But the tool also found that part of what I've been paying wasn't technically alimony but was classified as a "property equalization payment" in our agreement, which has different tax implications. I had no idea! My ex has been reporting everything as non-taxable income, which is correct, but I was missing some important distinctions in how I tracked these payments. Going to save me a lot of headaches if I ever get audited.
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Abigail bergen
If you're struggling to get answers directly from the IRS about alimony deductibility (their phone lines are IMPOSSIBLE), I used https://claimyr.com to actually get through to an IRS agent. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I spent days trying to call the IRS myself with no luck, but Claimyr got me connected in about 20 minutes. The agent was able to look at my specific situation and confirm the alimony rules for my 2022 divorce. They also explained some documentation requirements I didn't know about. Totally worth it because I got an official answer directly from the IRS rather than trying to interpret the tax code myself.
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Ahooker-Equator
•How exactly does this work? Do they just call the IRS for you or what? I don't understand how a service could get through when regular people can't.
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Kirsuktow DarkBlade
•Right, sounds fishy to me. The IRS phone system is broken for everyone. How would some random service magically get through when millions of people can't? And why would you pay for something like this instead of just emailing the IRS or checking their website?
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Abigail bergen
•They don't call the IRS for you - they use technology to navigate the IRS phone system and hold your place in line. When they're about to connect with an agent, you get a call and are connected directly. It's like having someone wait on hold for you. The IRS website and emails don't address specific questions about your personal tax situation - that's why people need to call. And honestly, I tried the "official" channels for weeks without success. I understand being skeptical, but when you've spent hours getting disconnected by the IRS phone system and tax filing deadline is approaching, having a service that actually gets you through is worth it. My call got answered in 22 minutes when I'd previously waited for hours and never reached anyone.
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Kirsuktow DarkBlade
I owe everyone here an apology - especially about my comment on Claimyr. I was super skeptical but decided to try it yesterday after spending 3 HOURS on hold with the IRS and ultimately getting disconnected. The service actually worked exactly as described. I was connected with an IRS agent in about 40 minutes, and they confirmed everything about my alimony situation. For my case (divorced in 2020), my alimony payments are definitely not deductible, and I needed to make sure I wasn't claiming them as such. The agent was able to check my previous returns to verify I'd been doing it correctly. After being frustrated for weeks trying to get through, it was such a relief to actually speak to someone at the IRS directly.
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Anderson Prospero
Quick reminder that if your divorce was finalized before 2019, you can STILL deduct alimony on your taxes! My divorce was in 2017 and I take the deduction every year. Just make sure you have the right documentation and your ex's social security number for your tax forms. A lot of people don't realize the cutoff date doesn't affect older divorces unless you've modified your agreement since then and specifically opted into the new rules.
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Natalie Khan
•What kind of documentation do you need exactly? My divorce was in 2016 and I've been deducting alimony, but I'm always paranoid I'm doing it wrong.
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Anderson Prospero
•You should keep copies of canceled checks, bank statements, or other proof of payment that clearly shows the amounts and dates. I also keep a yearly summary log that matches my payment records. Make sure you have your divorce decree handy too, since it specifies the alimony amounts. You'll need your ex's Social Security Number for Form 1040 (the recipient is required to provide it). If you're using tax software, it will specifically ask for this information in the alimony section. Just don't confuse any child support payments with alimony - only the alimony portion is deductible for pre-2019 divorces.
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Tyrone Hill
Does anyone know what happens if your divorce was being finalized right around the cutoff date? My ex and I separated in 2017, but our divorce wasn't technically finalized until February 2019. I've been deducting alimony since then, but now I'm worried I've been doing it wrong for years...
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Rudy Cenizo
•Unfortunately, you've been deducting incorrectly. The law is very specific about the cutoff - the divorce or separation agreement must have been executed before January 1, 2019. Since yours was finalized in February 2019, you fall under the new rules. I would strongly recommend consulting with a tax professional about amending your previous returns. You may owe back taxes plus potential penalties for the incorrect deductions.
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