How Do the Recent Tax Code Changes Affect My Spousal Support (Alimony)?

By: Jessica A. Bryant A bill was recently passed that makes several changes to the current U.S. tax law. One such change affects the way spousal support (maintenance/alimony) is treated. Under current tax code related to divorce, the spouse paying maintenance is given a deduction on his/her taxes and the spouse receiving maintenance had to declare the maintenance received as income on his/her taxes. The new tax bill eliminates the deduction for the alimony paying spouse as well as the requirement that it be declared as income by the receiving spouse. However, this change does not go into effect until 2019. Specifically, anyone currently under an order to pay maintenance will continue to receive the deduction, even after 2019, and anyone divorced before 2019 will receive the maintenance deduction as well. For Separation Agreements and initial maintenance awards entered on or after January 1, 2019, though the paying spouse will not receive any tax deduction. One question that…

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