How can I declare my maintenance payments in the tax return?
January 17, 2023 | 40,00 EUR | answered by Wolfgang Lenzner
Dear tax advisor,
My name is Luisa Ehrig and I am facing the challenge of correctly declaring my maintenance payments in my tax return. I am a single parent and I pay monthly maintenance for my child. So far, I have always made the payments on time, but I am unsure of how to claim these expenses on my taxes.
Currently, I am employed full-time and earn an average income. The maintenance payments are an additional financial burden for me, so it would be very helpful to know if and how I can deduct these expenses on my taxes.
My concern is that I may be missing out on tax benefits or relief if I do not correctly report the maintenance payments in my tax return. Therefore, I am looking for clear guidance or advice on how to proceed.
Could you please explain to me what steps I need to take to correctly declare my maintenance payments in the tax return? Are there any specific forms or information that I need to consider? How can I ensure that I take advantage of all possible tax benefits?
Thank you in advance for your help and support.
Sincerely,
Luisa Ehrig
Dear Mrs. Ehrig,
Thank you for your inquiry regarding the correct reporting of maintenance payments in your tax return. As a tax advisor, I would like to help you and provide you with clear instructions on how to proceed in order to take advantage of all tax benefits.
First of all, it is important to know that maintenance payments for children can be claimed for tax purposes. These expenses can be reported as special expenses in your tax return. It is important that the maintenance payments to your child were actually made and can be proven. Therefore, it is advisable to document all payments well, for example with transfer receipts or receipts.
To report the maintenance payments in your tax return, you will need the attachment U for maintenance payments. Here you enter the amount of the payments made and can also indicate the period for which the maintenance payments were made. It is important that you correctly state the names and dates of birth of the beneficiaries, i.e. your children.
In addition to the maintenance payments, you can also report the child benefit in your tax return. If you receive child benefit, you must enter this in the attachment Kind. It will then be checked whether the child benefit or the maintenance payments are more tax advantageous.
To ensure that you take advantage of all possible tax benefits, I recommend that you seek advice from a tax advisor. A tax advisor can help you make all relevant details correctly and also check if there are other ways to save on taxes.
I hope this information is helpful and you can correctly report your maintenance payments in your tax return. If you have any further questions or would like individual advice, I am happy to assist you.
Sincerely,
Wolfgang Lenzner
