If i pay child support do i put them down as dependents ?

[Flowerpower027]

Paying cild support doesn’t make the child/children a dependent on your tax return. You should follow either your court ordered agreement on who files the dependents on their return and if not listed there you can review IRS Publication 501 to determine who should claim the child/children. 

https://www.irs.gov/publications/p501#en_US_2021_publink[phone number removed]

[xmasbaby0]

No.   The custodial parent is the one who can claim the children as dependents, unless you have a signed agreement 8332 between the two of you.   You do not enter anything about child support on a tax return.

[MaryK4]

It depends- unless you are the custodial parent (the one the children lives with more during the tax year) you can use the exception for divorced and separated parents unless the custodial parent signs a Form 8332 that allows you to claim the children.