Do I have to pay taxes on divorce settlement money?

Do I have to pay taxes on divorce settlement money?

Generally, money that is transferred between (ex)spouses as part of a divorce settlement—such as to equalize assets—is not taxable to the recipient and not deductible by the payer.

Can I claim my elderly mother as a dependent?

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) allows you to claim your elderly parent as a dependent on a tax return as long as no one else does. If you choose to claim an exemption for your parent, you must also ensure that you are not an eligible dependent to another taxpayer.

Is there a tax credit for caring for an elderly parent?

The 2017 federal tax law expanded the Child Tax Credit (CTC) to allow taxpayers to claim up to $500 as a nonrefundable “Credit for Other Dependents,” including elderly parents.

Can I claim my mother as a dependent 2019?

A dependent parent passes the gross income test for 2019 if he or she has gross income of $4,200 or less. For purposes of the gross income test, you can ignore any tax-free Social Security benefits. Thus, for 2019, your mother qualifies as your dependent for purposes of claiming the $500 credit.

Who can you claim as a dependent 2020?

The child can be your son, daughter, stepchild, eligible foster child, brother, sister, half brother, half sister, stepbrother, stepsister, adopted child or an offspring of any of them. Do they meet the age requirement? Your child must be under age 19 or, if a full-time student, under age 24.

What is the dependent deduction for 2020?

For 2020, the standard deduction amount for an individual who may be claimed as a dependent by another taxpayer cannot exceed the greater of $1,100 or the sum of $350 and the individual’s earned income (not to exceed the regular standard deduction amount).

Can you claim adults as dependents on taxes?

You must have a qualifying relationship with your would-be dependent. Your adult son or daughter might also qualify as your dependent if you continue to support them—they’re just no longer your “qualifying children” if they’re older than age 19, or age 24 if they’re a student.

Do you claim your wife as a dependent?

You do not claim a spouse as a dependent. When you are married and living together, you can only file a tax return as either Married Filing Jointly or Married Filing Separately. You would want to file as MFJ even if one spouse has little or no income.