Post # 1
Member
817 posts
Busy bee
Fiance has a child, and I’ve heard from many people that when we get married I should NEVER file jointly with him. I’ve heard that if his ex ever fights for more child support in the future, that if we file our taxes jointly that she will be able to get more money because it’s counting both of our incomes.
Does anyone know more about this?
However, our state code about step parents says that we are NOT liable to pay any child support or anything like that for stepchildren, unless the stepparent adopts the child. But I still don’t know about filing joint tax returns and how that affects it.
Post # 3
Member
3620 posts
Sugar bee
Hm. I’m in Canada, but in a similar situation. My understanding is that once you’re married, your “household income” increases. It doesn’t mean you pay child support, and it doesn’t mean he pays more for child support, it just means he can’t claim as much on his taxes.
That is my understanding, and I’m still trying to learn more because I would like to file my taxes correctly.
Post # 4
Member
5654 posts
Bee Keeper
I’m in Texas and am on the receiving end of Child Support.
First, the amount set to pay per month is solely of of the non-custodial parents income.. not y’alls combined income. He is the one ordered to to pay and so you’re paycheck is not affected.
Second, there should be no reason why you two cannot file together. The only way the attorney general reliqueshes a tax return is if he is WAY deliquent.. my ex had to get 7k behind before they reliquenshed his joint return….
Now…. even if they reliquensh the joint return the federal govt puts a 180 day hold on in (here in texas) before releasing it…. that way if the spouse (you) want your portion of the return then you can file an “injuried spouse claim” and get your portion back since you are NOT on the order of support…. My only qualm on this is if your husband for some reason got more than 5k behind I’d give the whole return b/c at 5k they (the state) push for incarceration… otherwise it’s your money and you have every right to it.
Hope that helps some.
Post # 5
Member
7581 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
@Wannabe-diy-bride: I’m a bonus mom. My income has nothing to do with child support and never will.
It sounds like
amnystik has a dead beat dad situation (sorry for the terminology) if your soon to be hubby isn’t a scum bag, then that shouldn’t be an issue. And to clarify, sometimes even the Custodial parent does have to pay child support to the non-custodial.
My husband and I do not file together because he claims his son on his taxes and it hurts us financially if we do as far as what we pay in taxes. We get more back filing separatley.
Post # 6
Member
5654 posts
Bee Keeper
@mwitter80: yea… thankfully in October I FINALLY get to see some child support money (it’s only be 5 years. lol)
I had no idea about the custodial parent having to pay at times… I always thought it was the parent that the child does not live with that had to pay… hmmm well there’s something new. lol
Post # 7
Member
7581 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
@runsyellowlites: Yes. At least in Connecticut if the non-custodial has some custody rights but isn’t working, then the custodial parent can be ordered to pay child support for when the child is in that home. It’s really annoying. I’m sure not as bad as a dead beat, but imagine what it’s like to pay someone who gets to see their child 2 days a week, but most of the time only picks him up on the one day she gets a check and always is sick or has something come up on the other day.
Post # 8
Member
5654 posts
Bee Keeper
@mwitter80: wow… now that’s kinda just absolutely ridiculous! Ugh.. sometimes the system just doesn’t work like it’s supposed to =/
Post # 9
Member
3620 posts
Sugar bee
@runsyellowlites: Oh, I don’t think the system works at all. We only get my FI’s boys every other weekend, we’ve fought to get them more but the mother is a crazy biatch and has lied and lied her little head off to the courts, so we don’t get them more than that. However, we’re STILL required to pay a large amount of child support even though she won’t let us have them more then every other weekend. Does she not realize, if we had them more often, she wouldn’t struggle as bad financially because we’d be taking care of some of that burden?
It’s a huge sore spot for me, and I think the system is so unfair. My Fiance WANTS his kids, and he pays ALL his child support, yet, he’s only allowed to see them every other weekend? ugh…
Post # 10
Member
817 posts
Busy bee
@.twist.: It seems every person whose story you hear, it seems unfair. I hate that Fiance pays her so much child support a month yet we have his son HALF the time. Why isn’t everything just split down the middle?
Thanks for the information everyone. It helps! I think I will talk to my tax lady just to see how we should file next year, either way.