Tax Planning for the Divorcing and the Newly Divorced
For those going through a divorce, tax planning may not be the most compelling issue to deal with, but whether you are structuring a property settlement, dividing retirement assets, or filing income tax returns, there are potential minefields to navigate.
Alimony and Child Support:
Generally, spousal support is taxable to the person who receives it and deductible to the person who pays it, while child support is neither taxed nor deducted. However, payments to an ex-spouse are not considered spousal support if not specified in the settlement agreement because no taxes are withheld on spousal support received; frequently estimated taxes will need to be paid during the year.
Filing Status:
Couples who are separated but not yet divorced before December 31 can still file a joint return because, for tax purposes, you are treated as married if you are not legally divorced by year-end. Only when the divorce decree becomes final is that no longer an option. Generally, married filing jointly results in lower taxes than filing married filing separately. However, joint liability attaches to that joint return. After your divorce is finalized, you can file as head-of-household (and get the benefit of a larger standard deduction and lower tax brackets) only if you had a dependent living with you for more than half the year and you paid for more than half of the upkeep for your home.
Tax Exemptions for Dependents:
You can claim your child as a dependent on your tax return if the divorce decree names you as the custodial parent. If the decree is silent, you would nevertheless be considered the custodial parent eligible for the exemption if the child lived with you for a more extended period during the year than with your ex. Generally, the parent with the most custodial time with the children takes the exemption. However, the settlement agreement can stipulate differently — for example, the mother and father alternate years for taking this deduction. If the non-custodial parent (i.e., the parent who spends fewer days with the child) claims the children as dependents, at tax time, they will file Form 8332, a release of the exemption signed by the custodial parent stating that s/he won’t claim it.)
The parent who claims the dependent exemption can also claim the child credit or an American Opportunity or Lifetime Learning college credit. Put differently, the parent who is not eligible to claim the exemption cannot claim these credits, even if s/he has paid the bills for college.
Medical Expenses:
Children’s medical costs can be included in the medical expense deduction of the paying parent, regardless of who claims the dependency exemption.
Asset Transfers:
When a divorce agreement allocates property between spouses, the recipient doesn’t pay tax on that transfer. However, the property’s tax basis remains unchanged regardless of the actual market value at the time. When this property is sold, capital gains taxes will be paid on the entire gain earned before and after the transfer. When diving property, both tax basis and market value need to be considered, and the excess taxes that will ultimately be paid on sale should be considered. For example, a $100,000 CD is worth more to the recipient than a $100,000 piece of raw land that has a basis of $50,000. There’s no tax on the CD, but when the land is sold for $100,000, taxes will be paid on that $50,000 profit.
Home Sales:
Generally, the first $250,000 gain on the sale of a primary home is tax-free if you have owned the house and lived there at least two years out of the last five. Married couples filing jointly can exclude up to $500,000 if either has owned the residence and used it as a primary home for at least two out of the last five years.
For sales after a divorce, if those two-year ownership-and-use tests are met, each spouse can exclude up to $250,000 of gain on their individual returns. The sale of a residence after divorce can qualify for a reduced ratable exclusion if the two-year tests have not been met. The amount claimed depends on the proportion of the two-year period the home was owned and used. For example, if it was a year instead of two, each can exclude $125,000 of gain. However, if you receive the house in the divorce settlement and sell it several years later, a maximum of $250,000 can be excluded, and the time your spouse owns the home is added to your period of ownership for the two-year test.
Transfer of Retirement Assets:
A Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) allows retirement plan assets to be rolled into a retirement plan for the divorcing spouse free of any current taxes – and to retain their tax-deferred status. A QDRO is not required to transfer IRA funds, but the transfer must be specified in the divorce settlement. Improper adherence to these rules will result in the transfers being treated as fully taxable in the year of withdrawal or transfer.
First-time Home Buyer Credit:
If a home was purchased in 2008, 2009, or 2010 and a first-time home buyer credit was claimed, the divorce can retroactively affect that tax break. The credit must be repaid if it ceases to be a primary residence within three years of purchase. However, if the residence is transferred the house to either of the spouses as part of the divorce, no repayment is due. Note that this responsibility moves to the spouse who gets the home in the divorce.
Estate Planning:
One of the first things to be taken care of when planning for divorce is to redo the estate planning documents. This should be pretty apparent – and yet it is frequently overlooked. Keep in mind that the beneficiary designations determine beneficiaries of life insurance and retirement plans and not by the will/living trust – so be sure to request new beneficiary designation forms and have them completed correctly in conjunction with your estate planner and your divorce attorney, as there are limitations put in place at the time a divorce is filed, as well as by the fiduciary obligations owed between spouses.