Does my husband’s ex-wife have right to my income information on our joint tax returns?
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Does my husband’s ex-wife have right to my income information on our joint tax returns?
I am getting married in about 4 months; my fiance is divorced with 2 children. He was married for 10 years and pays child support but no alimony. His divorce agreement calls for an annual child support re-calculation and W2’s and other tax forms be provided each for other for that purpose. We plan to file for the 2011 year jointly to take advantage of the marriage deduction, which means my income information will now be on the tax return. Do I have privacy rights whereby I can hide my income from his ex-wife for (example by crossing these line items out before sending to her)? Or do I lose that privacy?
Asked on June 16, 2011 under Family Law, Massachusetts
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
Your income will be relevant since you will be living together, and the more you earn and pay toward your joint living expenses, the more disposable income your husband will have, and therefore the more he can afford to pay in child support. He can legally be compelled to produce your joint return. Even if you file separately, he will still need to prove his expenses so you income may come into play; additionally, filing separately will cost you money.
You can ask the court to allow you to "redact" or cross off your financial information from your joint returns. In certain cases it may grant permission for you to do so.
At this point you should consult directly with a divorce attorney in your area.
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