You can only report your alimony payments as a tax deduction only if you finalized your divorce by December 31, 2018. Similarly, the recipient must report the amount as income and pay tax. Also, the IRS doesn’t take spousal support as income for the recipient. Therefore, the receiving spouse doesn’t pay tax on it.

Can you claim alimony on your taxes?

In California: If you receive alimony payments, you must report it as income on your California return. If you pay alimony to a former spouse/RDP, you’re allowed to deduct it from your income on your California return.

When do you no longer have to report alimony as income?

Starting in the 2019 tax year, alimony payments are no longer deductible—nor does the recipient have to report them as income. That’s because the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), signed into law on December 22, 2017, eliminated the alimony deduction from the tax code from 2019 through 2025. However, there are some exceptions.

What kind of alimony can I get after a divorce?

Depending on the terms of the divorce and recent circumstances, changes to the alimony arrangements may be possible. There are several types of alimony, sometimes called spousal support or maintenance. Some are designed to be temporary, such as support payments that give the recipient spouse time to train or get educated for a new job.

Can a child support payment be treated as alimony?

The payment isn’t treated as child support or a property settlement. Not all payments under a divorce or separation instrument are alimony. Alimony doesn’t include: Voluntary payments (that is, payments not required by a divorce or separation instrument). Child support is never deductible and isn’t considered income.

Is there a way to avoid paying alimony?

If paying spouses want to find ways to avoid paying alimony of any type, however, they will have to go back to court. According to the American Bar Association, the national professional organization for attorneys, only 15 percent of all divorce cases include alimony payments.