topic Can I deduct lawyer fees for divorce/alimony received? in Deductions & credits

Can I deduct lawyer fees for divorce/alimony received?

beebles21 — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 07:13:21 GMT

No. That is not deductible. IRS Pub. 529, Miscellaneous D...

jerry2000 — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 07:13:23 GMT

No. That is not deductible.
IRS Pub. 529, Miscellaneous Deductions,
https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p529.pdf
List of Non-Deductible expenses starts on page 14
Divorce is on page 16.

thank you for your response. Even if lawyer was used to...

beebles21 — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 07:13:24 GMT

thank you for your response. Even if lawyer was used to obtain taxable income (ie alimony)?

Read IRS Pub. 529 It says that legal fees for divorce are...

jerry2000 — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 07:13:26 GMT

Read IRS Pub. 529 It says that legal fees for divorce are not deductible.

thank you. I did look at it and it mentions if greater th...

beebles21 — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 07:13:27 GMT

thank you. I did look at it and it mentions if greater than 2% of net income. Lawyer fees were 10k salary was 50k

You should look at the list of items that are not deducti...

jerry2000 — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 07:13:29 GMT

You should look at the list of items that are not deductible. Legal fees for divorce are in that list. Doesn't matter what % of agi they are. Carefully read the list of non-deductible expenses and read the part about divorce. Fees for that are not deductible no matter what % of agi they are.

thanks. I did look at the list. divorce is not deductib...

beebles21 — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 07:13:30 GMT

thanks. I did look at the list. divorce is not deductible, I understand. But why does it say that you can claim the lawyer fees when lawyer is used for obtaining alimony? alimony was also part of the divorce. Sorry to be a pain but it is confusing how you cant use it for divorce but can claim for alimony. without a lawyer I would NOT have received alimony. thanks!