He Wants To Claim The Children on his Tax Returns!

[Anonymous]

How about bigger ticket items like camp, school trips, college, braces? How are they covered?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have two children ages 11 & 13.

When the children's dad and I separated we agreed to share custody 50/ 50 without going through the court system. No one pays child support. We each cover our own expenses for the children.

Upon separation we agreed that I would claim the kids on my taxes.

I pay for their health care coverage through my job.

The kids also come to my house each day after school so their dad doesn't have to pay afterschool fees because he's not able to pick them up each day from the busstop.

Their dad also asks me to take them for extended periods of time (requests made 2 to 3 times per year) so that he can travel for personal reasons (not work). This works out to the kids being at my house slightly more days than the 50/50 schedule we agreed to throughout the year.

Their dad approached me this week saying that he wants to claim the kids on his taxes starting this year and going forward.

What is a fair way to handle his request keeping in mind that I pay more annually for the children in the form of medical/dental/vision (approx $4000 annually), more in terms of after school food/snacks (approx $2400 annually) since they come to my house each day afterschool, I'm also saving him $8,000 annually for afterschool care costs since I'm basically his free aftercare program each week. I looked at the SACC afterschool program for the kids and that's how much it would cost annually.

Based on the fact that I have them more physically plus pick up more of the costs annually I do not agree that he should be able to start claiming them starting this year. Especially since we are already 10 months into this tax year and I have already absorbed more of the costs and physical custody days.

How would you handle this request if your child's other parent approached with this request?

we agreed? is this in writing or a formal arrangement? If you make more money you might end up paying him alimony

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:if you have 50/50 custody, each parent should claim 1 child

And each parent should cover 50% of after school care and healthcare premiums.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How about bigger ticket items like camp, school trips, college, braces? How are they covered?

At the kids ages, with these topics coming up, it’s worth getting a formal agreement. Claiming on taxes is just the tip of the iceberg.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After school snacks? lol. and don't you want to see your kids after school?

But anyway, you should keep it since you pay health insurance.

I smirked in response to this too. It's like she is almost begrudging her kids their snacks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about bigger ticket items like camp, school trips, college, braces? How are they covered?

At the kids ages, with these topics coming up, it’s worth getting a formal agreement. Claiming on taxes is just the tip of the iceberg.

This is a good point. OP, are you actually divorced? You are not, right? Your OP implies only separation? Because if you are divorced, or even in the process of divorcing, this should have been formalized by now. So ... you are early on and figuring this stuff out informally, and PP makes a good point; this friction over tax deductions is just the tip of the iceberg. You probably are not going to be able to handle this informally for much longer before it devolves. His wanting to change the script on the tax deductions and your inclination to nickel and dime about snacks do not bode well.

[Anonymous]

If you are so sharing everything, why can't he claim one kid. The idea is to save on taxes.
How are you all even filing? Married, but filing separately? How did you get a divorce without a court system? Start explaining all over again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are so sharing everything, why can't he claim one kid. The idea is to save on taxes.
How are you all even filing? Married, but filing separately? How did you get a divorce without a court system? Start explaining all over again.

Sometimes it helps to actually read what OP wrote.

[Anonymous]

You should have a legal agreement. You can share custody and have this all spelled out.

Seems like you are not divorced? You can’t get divorced without going through courts/

You should each be claiming one each year/

I am divorced. I never filed for child support. We each claim one kid on taxes/ that is how it works.

[Anonymous]

Each claim one or switch off years. File for child support.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After school snacks? lol. and don't you want to see your kids after school?

But anyway, you should keep it since you pay health insurance.

Not op but what is he paying if these expenses are so funny

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After school snacks? lol. and don't you want to see your kids after school?

But anyway, you should keep it since you pay health insurance.

Not op but what is he paying if these expenses are so funny

Whose paying for clothing, activities, lessons, etc? If OP is paying more, then she should be getting child support and they each claim one child or every other year. But, that's only if the incomes are different or they cannot split things.

Ask him to provide health insurance.

[Anonymous]

What is his reason for wanting to change the agreement you made? I think you should claim them on your taxes. How much money will you save? Can you then prorate what you save and give him some after factoring in what you pay for healthcare?

[Anonymous]

We each claim one and switch which each year (since at some point the older one will age out so then it will rotate who claims the other). But this is in our final legal agreement.

[Anonymous]

We have one minor dc and our agreement says he claims in even years and me in odd. OP you really need a legal agreement that spells this out.