Episode 28: My Ex Spouse Claimed My Child, Now What?!

In this episode, I discuss what to do if your ex-spouse or ex-partner claims your child when he or she should not have. 

I get this question all the time and it is so painful to the people affected. Often the person who is supposed to claim the child is denied important deductions and credits, which increases their taxes and reduces potential refunds. Refunds which are often used for necessary expenses to care for the child, such as food, clothing and shelter.

Here are the steps you need to take:

1. file a paper tax return

2. gather all documentation you have and put it together in a nice package to provide to the IRS (I suggest doing that as soon as you can as it may be too late to get vital documents later when the IRS does contact you).

3. provide the IRS the requested documents and await the results (make sure to file everything in advance of any deadlines).

4. if the IRS disagrees with you, you will get the right to file an appeal

Here are copies of the information mentioned in the podcast:

IRS Form 886-H IRS Supporting Documents for Dependents

IRS Notice CP75A "We’re auditing your 20XX Form 1040. You need to send us supporting documentation"

IRS Notice CP87A "Information about your 20XX federal income tax return. You need to make sure someone is your dependent"

If you or someone you know has a tax problem and needs help now, call our office at 207-502-7181 or email us at jwade@jdwadelaw.com. We will be glad to help you. Otherwise, please enjoy our content and let us know if there are topics you'd like us to discuss.