Why is child support not a tax deduction?

I know and understand what you are saying. Really I do. It just seems like the person paying gets nothing in return except a few visits for his investment. Shouldn't there be a law if they person recieving the money gets re-married then the child support can be cut in half? Hell I don't know. I am just not liking what it does to my friends. They scratch and fight for every dollar they have just to make those payments. Now they live in apartments, drive cheaper cars, etc.

 

Understand the pain and feel for them (pray that it never happens to me!!!!!), but if it requires more tax money to be spent then I am not in favor of it.

 

My Ex owes $1899.35 , when we went to court, they ordered him to pay $10.00 additional a month. My son will be 25 before its paid off. Yeah, Non-Custodial parents have plenty to complain about!

 

He owes you that for how long though?

 

Well in that case the one paying should pay double if they get remarried?? NO! You are able for a review every 3 years. If things change, so will the amount paid. They only use the parents income, not the parents spouses.

 

TWO years.

 

That does not seem like alot of money for two years.I had one friend tell me he way paying close to 18K for one kid for a year.

 

Sounds like friend needs a new lawyer!

 

Thats what he is behind .Three months out of the year he takes a voluntary layoff . Every year lately!! That way he draws unemployment and they don't take child support out. I have TWO kids and don't even get half of 18k. Guy must have an AWESOME job.

 

He does. His Lawyer has nothing to do with what the court deems is fair for child support.

 

Ahhh!!!! Bureaucracy at it's best

 

Touche'

 

The child support calculations not only include income, but all expenses in reference to the child - even the CP's car payment. That car is used to transport the child - so it is considered an expense towards support of the child. Now if the wife and hubby enjoyed a Hummer prior to the divorce and the payment is 600.00 a month, then the child support (for one child) will include 1/2 of that payment. 1/2 of the phone bill, the electricity bill, the cable bill, 1/2 of the mortgage, 1/2 of the car insurance. If she gets remarried or has another child (ie, the # of family members grows) then it would be 1/3, 1/4, etc - IF you get another child support order which I think you can have it re-evaluated every 3 years. On the flipside, if non-CP makes 20,000 a year and then lands his dream job raking in 80,000.00 a year... you guessed it - the CP can ask for an evaluation and have the support changed to reflect her ex's new income.

 

^WOOPS^

That's pretty much what KDsGrandma said. If ya ask me, it would be a heck of alot easier to cut a check each month than to be a single parent. Sleep in, come and go as you please, save your sick days for hangovers.... but I digress.

 

I have seen evidence that those same mothers who "allegedly" spent the money for themselves have actually already spent thier money to pay the portion for the non-custodial parent each month...and thus the CS payment is reimbursement for the non-custodial parent's portion.

And since many non-custodial parents pay late, lets charge interest on those funds when they are late. Since the custodial parent must cover the non-custodial parent's portion of costs as they come due, then late CS payments mean the Custodial parent is having to dip into their own disposable income outside of their allotted portion of CS...and thus that portion of their income is not available to them until the non-custodial parent decides to pay.

And I tell you what. If custodial parents are to be audited, so should non-custodial parents. That way, if the non-custodial parent spends more money than is needed for their own basic shelter, food and necessities, then the rest can go towards the kids.

And while we're at it, lets make sure that the non-custodial parent reimburses the custodial parent for 1/2 the sick days the custodial parent takes when the kids are sick. And 1/2 the wages lost or paid-time-off used to take kids to doctor appointments, dental appointments, ball practice, etc.

Like them apples?

 

How about we all go to work and deposit 100% of our income into one big pot and then distribute it equally so no one is offended and every one has the same amount. Oh wait that is communism.

We need less government in our lives not more. Divorce is not fair to any of the parties. We need more personal accountability and self discipline. Anybody can have a child, it takes a parent to raise a child (whether they are under one roof or not)

 

I have NEVER understood how the whole child suport system works. I've seen some guys get "taken to the cleaners" but my sis only gets $150 a month. PATHETIC in my opinion. I'd be embarrassed to say I only contributed $150 a month to the support of my child. Doesn't seem to bother her ex one bit.........................:roll:

 

Untrue. A parent that does not have a child(ren) living with them can get by with a one bedroom apartment. There can be quite the difference between a one-bedroom and a two or three-bedroom apartment. A parent with child(ren) living with them cannot. In fact, in Virginia, if a parent has two or more children of different gender above the age of 10, it's against the law to not provide a bedroom for each gender. Apartments can - and do - (at least before I left there) refuse to rent to a family in such a situation, because they can be fined for doing so.

Example:
Abberly Woods Apts, Garner
Cheapest 1 BR = $789
Cheapest 2 BR = $936
Cheapest 3 BR = $1,045

Crabtree Crossing, Morrisville
Cheapest 1 BR = $689
Cheapest 2 BR = $769
Cheapest 3 BR = $1,040

Slightly?!?! Try considerably. We're talking extra showers/baths equivalent to an adult's use of water, per kid. We're talking 2-3 bedroom lights working each night v. one bedroom light. You get the picture.

Why should the PIC claim the CS on taxes? He/she is paying taxes on their own portion of the money they earn that they pay towards Child expenses...why should they have to also pay tax on the other parent's portion!? The non-cust parent should pay their own taxes on their portion.

The PIC is also the one that wakes up the majority of the time and does laundry at 2:00am when all the kids are puking at once with the flu. And the parent in charge is the one that gets the call from the school when the kids are sick, and must leave work to go pick them up...and have to endure the bosses scorn when this occurs. The PIC is the one that must schedule and take the kids to doctors, dental, eye exams, etc...and pay the co-pay at the time of service -whether it's in the bank or not. The PIC is the one that has to pay a babysitter in order to have dinner with friends, attend a business social, or see a movie...unless he/she schedules it around the visitation schedule - which is often not possible.

Lastly, if the non-custodial parent doesn't have the money to pay CS, he/she may have to endure some scolding from the other parent, but that's it. Because of limits required in order to file Contempt, the non-custodial parent can be 30 - 90 days late all the time, and nothing can be done about it.

But if the custodial parent doesn't have the money to pay the electric bill or buy groceries...to darned bad. He/she has to find a way right then...because those obligations don't care whether or not the budget is too tight. The custodial parent can't just call the electric company and say "I just don't have it right now." They can't go to the store and get free groceries and tell the cashier "I'll pay for them next week."

There is a lot more cost - both personal and financial - that the PIC has, that you aren't considering here.

 

Well if the court assigned it, it has to be right. So much for responsibility and love. I hate to make a judgment, but in your sister's case that would be way lower than his moral obligation even if the father never worked a day in his life.

 

Why is the government deciding that each child needs a separate room.

A lot of these factors are present in families that remain married. Again nothing the court decides or dictates replaces a parents moral or fiduciary responsibilities.