QUESTION
Can you please interpret mediation agreement?
Asked on May 26th, 2017 on Child Support - Iowa
More details to this question:
My mediation agreement with my child's father states " 'Father' shall be entitled to claim the child in even numbered tax years beginning with the 2014 tax year so long as he is current on his child support obligation AS OF January 31 of the year following his year to claim the deduction. If 'Father' is not current on his child support obligation in his years to claim the child, then 'Mother' shall be entitled to claim the child on her federal tax and state tax returns." What is your understanding of that? Does that mean that he has January to get caught up on the year prior past due amount, not including the January child support obligation? OR does that mean that January child support obligation should be included when calculating if he is current? Explanation: Father was behind at the end of 2016 $231.00. Monthly child support obligation is $500.00. He paid $576.90 in January. If the January CS obligation is included, he was past due as of January 31 $88.45. It seems to me that the
1 ANSWER
This is standard language for an agreement. It means that he must be paid up - for years prior as well as the January payment by the end of January to take the deduction. There may be some leeway if the balance of the January payment was to be made with the first February paycheck, but otherwise the balance should be $0 to take the deductoin.
Donna Miller
Grefe & Sidney
515-245-4300
Answered on May 29th, 2017 at 5:26 AM