One important aspect of spousal support (a.k.a. alimony) is that the payor of the support gets a tax benefit. Spousal support, unlike child support, is taxed as income to the recipient and tax-deductible to the person paying. This is the law in California and also in the federal tax code. Now, that appears to be changing. For divorces starting next year, in 2019, spousal support will no longer be tax-deductible when you file taxes with the IRS. What that means in dollars and cents remains to be seen, but it is something we all need to monitor in the coming year. If you have questions concerning support or divorce in general, please call me to set up a time to meet at my office in Dublin: (925) 452-8219, or email me at daniel@eastbayflm.com.
http://money.cnn.com/2017/12/15/pf/taxes/alimony-tax-bill/index.html