If I pay child support, am i allowed to deduct anything on my taxes or claim the child as an exemption?
Nothing can be deducted for the child support payments. Child support payments are neither deductible by the payer nor taxable income to the payee. You may be able to claim the child as a dependent. The parent who the child lived with for the greater part of the year is the custodial parent. Generally the custodial parent is allowed to claim the exemption for the child if the other exemption tests are met. However, the noncustodial parent may be allowed to claim the exemption for the child if the custodial parent signs a Form 8332 (PDF), Release of Claim to Exemption for Child of Divorced of Separated Parents, or a substantially similar statement.
