The new year typically brings alterations to existing federal and state laws, and 2019 is no exception. This year’s updates include a change to federal tax laws that will significantly impact both parties involved in divorce, while one change to state laws adds a provision designed to reduce injuries in car accidents.

Spousal Support Tax Changes 

A substantial change in U.S. tax law that went into effect on January 1, 2019 spawned an increased push to finalize divorces before the new year. To help defray the cost of the 2017 tax reform bill, spousal maintenance (formerly called alimony in Illinois) is no longer tax-deductible for former spouses who make payments. Also, maintenance recipients will no longer claim those payments as taxable income. This change applies to couples who finalize their divorce after December 31, 2018.

The previous tax deduction law dated back to the 1940s. This change is expected to save the U.S. Treasury $6.7 billion, but it comes at a price. Many divorce attorneys say it will reduce the amount of money that can be split between former spouses, which is what sparked the run on divorces in the final weeks of 2018.

Going from married to divorced radically changes one’s finances. Instead of splitting bills with a partner, you now have to pay expenses on a single income. In addition to this, your taxes will likely change in several ways. In most cases, you can anticipate how your taxes will be affected by divorce, allowing you to alter your tax strategy accordingly.

Updating Income Tax Withholding

One area of your taxes you should review is whether you are withholding the right amount of taxes from your paycheck. Typically, married taxpayers who file together are taxed at a lower rate, and they may be able to claim certain deductions to reduce their tax burden.

When someone is no longer married, his or her tax liability will likely go up. If you do not change the amount withheld from your paycheck, you could face a large tax bill when filing your next tax return.

For many couples, spousal maintenance is an important issue to address during divorce. Alimony payments can help a lower-earning spouse maintain a standard of living similar to what they enjoyed while they were married, and they will also have a major impact on the finances of a higher-earning spouse. However, divorcing couples should be aware that there are significant changes in store for divorces which are finalized on or after January 1, 2019. On that date, both federal and state laws will be going into effect that will change the way courts award spousal maintenance and how alimony is treated for tax purposes.

Changes to Federal Law

At the federal level, alimony will no longer be tax deductible for the paying spouse. For the spouse receiving spousal maintenance, the new law does not require that spousal support be claimed as income. Experts generally agree that this will likely have the effect of smaller spousal maintenance payments, since more of the paying spouse’s income will go toward paying taxes.

Changes to Illinois Law

The state of Illinois has also changed its laws on spousal maintenance in two main respects. The first change to the law concerns how courts will decide if spousal support is appropriate at all between the spouses. Not every divorcing couple will qualify for spousal support. 

If you are an Illinois parent going through a divorce, your divorce decree will include a parenting plan that specifies how parental responsibility (also known as decision making) and parenting time (also known as custody and visitation) will be allocated between you and your ex-spouse. 

This is an important document that will play a major part in determining how you will interact with your former spouse and your child for years to come. Therefore, it is critical to think through this document and to be as comprehensive as possible. It is also important to make the terms flexible. This plan must be able to grow with your family for years to come. 

The Importance of a Parenting Plan

Before discussing what should be covered in your parenting plan, it is important to understand the purpose of such a document within the scope of your family law case. You and your ex may be able to work together to create a parenting plan, but if you cannot agree on the terms of the plan, each of you must file your own parenting plan. Typically, each spouse is required to file a parenting plan within 120 days of petitioning for parental responsibilities. A court will review and consider the parenting plans when deciding how parental responsibilities will be divided. 

Last December, Congress passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which represented the largest reform of the U.S. Tax Code in the past 30 years. This law made a wide variety of changes which will affect nearly everyone who pays taxes in the United States, and couples who are planning to get end their marriage should be sure to understand how this law will impact their divorce. Here are three areas of the tax law which will affect divorce cases:

1. Spousal maintenance - For divorce agreements executed after December 31, 2018, maintenance (alimony) will no longer be tax deductible for the payor, and maintenance payments will no longer be includable as part of the recipient’s gross income. Divorcing spouses should be sure to understand how this change will affect their maintenance payments, and couples with a prenuptial agreement may need to update their agreement to reflect this change to the law.
2. Mortgage interest - For new home loans taken out after December 14, 2017, the interest is only deductible for the first $750,000 of the mortgage for a first and second home. Taxpayers with existing mortgages can continue to deduct interest on a total of $1 million for a first and second mortgage. However, interest on home equity indebtedness (that is, mortgage debt that is not used to acquire, build, or improve a primary residence) is no longer deductible, even for currently existing home equity. Couples should be sure to understand how these changes will affect the tax implications of dividing real estate property during divorce.
3. 529 plans - When parents use a Section 529 plan to save for their children’s educational expenses, they are able to withdraw funds from these plans to pay for college expenses without being subject to taxes. Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, parents are now allowed to make tax-free distributions of up to $10,000 per beneficiary per year to pay tuition for elementary or secondary public, private, or religious school. Following divorce, parents may be able to use these funds to help pay for their children’s K-12 education.

Contact a Kane County Divorce Attorney

The full effects of the tax reform law are still being determined, and couples who are planning to divorce should be sure they understand how their finances will be affected by these changes. At Ariano Hardy Ritt Nyuli Richmond Lytle & Goettel P.C., we can work with you to address every legal and financial issue in your divorce, and we will advocate for your interests throughout the divorce process, ensuring that you will have the financial resources you need as you embark on the next phase of your life. Contact our Elgin divorce lawyers at 847-695-2400 to schedule a free consultation.

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