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Doing your taxes is difficult enough. Doing your taxes after a divorce or while divorcing can be doubly challenging. The government doesn’t care that you’ve been divvying up assets and figuring out what belongs to whom – they still expect to get paid. If your Michigan divorce has put a kink in your otherwise streamlined tax filing, or made your already complicated taxes that much more of a hassle, it is still possible to simplify the inevitable.
Your marital status at the end of the year determines how you will file your tax return, even if your divorce is now officially final. Get the tax details clear in your divorce settlement so there are no surprises.
If you were still married at the end of the tax year, you can choose “married filing jointly” or “married filing separately.” Filing jointly may make for a smaller tax burden, but if your divorce hasn’t been pleasant, especially on the money front, you may find yourself in a struggle about who’s paying the taxes or who’s getting the potential refund. If your divorce was final before the end of the tax year, you will file as “single,” even if you were married for part of the tax year.
A child can only be claimed on one tax return, so only the custodial parent gets to claim the dependency exemption. You will want your divorce decree to spell out who the custodial parent is to avoid a fight over who may be entitled to the child tax credit for children under age 17.
If there is at all a discrepancy about who gets to claim the exemption, and you know that you are entitled to claim your children, filing your tax return sooner rather than later will be to your benefit. Your ex will have to prove that he or she was entitled to the exemption.
Under the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, spousal support will be a non-deductible expense and child support will not need to be declared as income and will not be taxable. But this rule will only apply starting with 2018 taxes. This year, the spousal support recipient must claim these payments on their tax return as income, though child support is not reported as income. Your divorce settlement, and whether you combined alimony and child support into “family support” will make a difference in filing.
Ideally, you and your ex will find common ground when it comes to taxes. The last thing you want is to find yourself in deep with Uncle Sam because you made poor financial decisions during your divorce.
Have a knowledgeable divorce attorney representing you to ensure that you will not make any tax missteps and find yourself paying more than you should or getting less than you deserve. Consult with Femminineo Attorneys, PLLC in Macomb, Michigan, to get answers about your divorce and any tax-related issues. Contact us to schedule your appointment.
Most lawyers are in a general practice and do some of everything. One of our main focuses is on Family law and being expert at divorce, custody and support matters.
We are in court daily, working with the family court judges, their staff and clerks, the Friend of the Court office, the Bar Association and other attorneys working in this area. We pride ourselves on fighting hard for our clients while working well with everyone.
Our extensive experience and strong relationship with the courts and our peers leads many judges and attorneys to hire us to act as Mediators in other Family Law cases. Make no mistake; having a strong working relationship with the court can have a massive impact on your case. Unlike most attorneys, we have no fear of the court room and are in trial regularly against the best in the business. We see the judges every week and maintain strong ties with their staff.
Although every attorney can “handle” your case, Femminineo Attorneys cares about you and your family. We work extremely hard to keep this difficult process civil and to shelter your children from as much of the negative facets as possible.
Once your case is concluded, we will be there to help you with any post-judgment problems that may arise.
Everyone’s financial situation is different and we work with our clients to formulate a fee arrangement that works within your means.
We have handled every possible situation involving domestic law. We will do everything possible to wrap up your case in a timely manner, avoiding delays that cause unnecessary legal fees.
When your case cannot be easily solved, we will fight hard and use all of our resources to win. Unlike most attorneys, we have no fear of the court room and we regularly win cases against the best in the business at trial.
Unlike many attorneys who have a part-time typist and work 30 hours a week, we have an expert staff available all day long to assist you and provide immediate service. We are available to our clients 24 hours a day through our hot line at 586-854-3654.
At Femminineo Attorneys, your case will be handled by an experienced family law attorney. Each of our attorneys in our family law division has many years of experience in handling family law matters.
During traditional business hours, please call us at:
After hours and weekends, we are still available for you to speak to an attorney via our 24 Hour messaging center:
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The information presented within this website is for general information purposes and is NOT and should not be considered as being “legal advice”. You should not act on any information presented herein without the verifying same with your attorney.