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Question about taxes

StepmomA20's picture

Hi everyone I'm new to the site and have a question that I have been thinking about since last year. So me and my husband have 1 child together and he has a child from previous relations. My stepson came to live with us 2yrs ago. In my opinion when we do our taxes me always split what we get for our child. So with my stepson now living with us do you think it's right for him to split for my stepson as well? The biological mom doesn't do anything to help since he's been with us. She barely sees him. I think last yr she saw him like 4 times out the whole yr but she contributes nothing. What do yall think?

Comments

ndc's picture

When you say "what we get for our child," what exactly do you mean?  Are you talking about the child credit?  Child care credit?  Something else?  I'm assuming you have separate finances (or there'd be no need to split the tax refund); how do you split household costs?  Does your husband pay all expenses for SS?  Does your husband handle 62.5% of expenses and you the remainder, since he is responsible for 2.5 of the members of the household and you for 1.5?  

If your husband pays all of SS's expenses, including his share of household expenses, then I think he should get the tax refund attributable to SS.  If you split those expenses, then you should split the tax refund.  This assumes, of course, that you both had income and paid taxes, since there would need to be earnings/taxes to take advantage of the non-refundable portion of the child credit.

lieutenant_dad's picture

If your SO is paying all of SS's expenses and doesn't get any CS from BM, then I'd say it's fair for him to keep the whole return (unless they have a court order saying otherwise). If she were paying CS and maintaining her visitation schedule, then I'd say it's fair to split, though it would be better (in my opinion) to switch each year of who claims him.

StepmomA20's picture

Ok so we file married filing separately. Yes the child credit. My husband pays for my stepson daycare expense. As far as everything else, household expenses we split and anything that pertains to taking care of both kids we both do. BM doesnt do anything to help. She so calls trying to get her life together which is sad for him because he wants to be with his mom. He hasn't even spent a whole day with her in 2 yrs. So she basically dont pay for anything.